Hunters' Blood
by Gemini14
Summary: When a young Hunter leaves home in search of his destiny, he may get more than he bargained for! Especially since his father is a certain dunpeal Hunter! Read and Review Please!
1. Prologue: Farewells

Hunters' Blood

Prologue: Farewells

An old man looks on as a youth of sixteen or seventeen puts a saddle on a cyborg horse, in preparation to leave.

"Are you sure about this, Dirk? This is a bit sudden, even for you." The old man says, watching as the youth places the saddlebags onto the beast's back, then firmly secures them.

"Yeah. I'm sure. This place just isn't the same without Mother…..it's too quiet." The youth replies, getting a chuckle from the old man as a response.

"I agree. Your mother, my sister, was quite a pistol; I have no doubt that you are her son, all right….." the old man says, wistfully, as he gazed at the youth.

"That may be true, Uncle Dan, but how do you explain the fact that I have remained looking so young, while you and Mother aged? I should be looking old myself by now!" Dirk says, as he motions to himself with a wave of his hand. 'Dan' sighed; he knew it would eventually come to this, and he'd dreaded it ever since the day Dirk had been born.

"The truth is, Dirk…….Your father….he wasn't completely human…." Dan said, quietly. Dirk turned and gave his elderly uncle a look of consternation.

"'Wasn't completely human'? What do you mean by that? He wasn't a vampire, was he?" Dirk asked, his heart leaping into his throat, and his face paling, when he thought of that terrifying idea. Dan shook his head.

"No. He wasn't a vampire….nor was he a mutant. Your father….was a dunpeal. The son of a full-vampire father and a human mother." Dan replied, watching as a look of disbelief came across Dirk's handsome features.

"You mean……I have vampire……'Noble'…..blood in me? Why? What did Mother see in a man that had vampire blood in him?" Dirk asked, remembering how much his mother had seemed to hate vampires.

"He'd saved her life. In fact, he took a sword to the stomach twice and even died once to save her…..and me. You see, there used to be a vampire known as Magnus Lee in these parts, and he was a threat to all who lived here. Then your father came along, defeated Lee after a long struggle, and rode off." Dan said, trying to make a long story short.

"In other words, that would make me about one-quarter vampire, correct?" Dirk asked, getting a slight nod from Dan as a response. It was then that a look of resolve took up residence on Dirk's face, as well as one of determination.

"All the more reason for me to leave. I've spent my whole life in and around Ransylva, building up my strength, and learning as much as I can by hunting werewolves. Maybe it is time I moved on. Who knows? Maybe I'll even find my father out there somewhere." Dirk mused, as he now eagerly looked to the horizon.

"Maybe you will. But there is one more thing you must know, Dirk, before you leave from here…..and one last gift." Dan murmured, as he gently placed something about Dirk's neck.

"Huh?" Dirk asked, as he looked down and saw what it was that his uncle had placed there. From a leather cord, hung a blue pendant: the stone in the pendant itself was a shade of blue that he'd never seen before.

"Wow……Where did this….?" Dirk trailed off, as he picked up and held the pendant closer to his face; a look of wonder gracing his features as he did so.

"Your father gave that to me a long time ago, when we were in the vampire's castle to rescue your mother. He never came back for it, so I assumed he must have let me keep it to remember him by…….Now, I give it to you, Dirk, as it is your birthright." Dan said, with a sad smile.

"Thank you, Uncle Dan. But what about the last thing you want me to know? What is it?" Dirk asked, curiously.

"Your father's name……It is the last thing I can impart to you…. He called himself D." Dan stated, noticing when Dirk cocked his head to one side in confusion.

"'D'? Is that all you know about his name?" Dirk asked.

"Alas, yes. But it is enough, I think. There couldn't be too many people with that name, could there?" Dan asked, in turn. Dirk shook his head.

"No. I don't think so, either." Dirk said, as he then carefully hugged his elderly uncle.

"I guess this is goodbye." Dirk murmured, as a few tears escaped his cool, gray eyes and silently made their way down his face.

"I suppose so. Take care of yourself out there, Dirk." Dan replied, as tears flowed down his face as well.

"I will. Farewell, Uncle Dan." Dirk said, then whispered, "Goodbye, Mother." With a gentle kick, he got his horse moving.

"Farewell, Dirk. I hope you find your place in this world…..and maybe you can help him find his, as well. Right, Doris?" Dan whispered, when the youth had disappeared from sight. He smiled wistfully when a gentle breeze blew past him, and away with Dirk into the encroaching night. Even if she couldn't be there physically, Doris was there in the spirit; and she agreed with her younger brother wholeheartedly.

Author's Note!

Yeah, I realize that there might be some problems with the timeline, but there is a reason for that. I am combining some elements from the first movie, and the recently released first novel. I will be revealing more of Dirk's personality in the next chapter, so sit tight!

Oh, yeah, and don't forget to read and review, please!

Gemini14


	2. Chapter One: Callings

Chapter One: Callings

His quarry was close. He could hear the grunts and snarls of the werewolf close at hand.

"Oh joy…..the 'thrill' of the hunt." A droll voice mutters, from the hand of the youth who gripped a bright sword tightly.

"Shh, Marv. You're gonna blow my cover." Dirk hisses, not taking his keen grey eyes off of the beast. In years past, Dirk had wondered how it could be that he could see as clearly at night as he could during the day.

"_Now I know. It's because of the vampire blood I have running in my veins. That would also explain why I get so sleepy during the day_…." Dirk mused, silently, leaping when the monster wolf became aware of him and slashed at him with it's sharp claws.

"Now, now! Bad dog! Now I'm gonna have to discipline you!" Dirk shouted, jokingly, as he held his sword between him and the werewolf. With practiced ease, Dirk moved around the beast, avoiding the talons all the while. Then the werewolf lunged, foaming mouth agape and trying to take him unawares…..but Dirk was too quick for it.

"Gotcha!" Dirk cried, as he drove his sword into the back of the werewolf's neck, through it, and buried the sword up to the hilt.

"Lovely. Now I'm going to smell like werewolf for the next couple of days." 'Marv' mumbles, as Dirk withdrew the sword from the dead monster's neck.

"I'm starting to think I should've left you in that lake, Marv. You're startin' to get on my nerves." Dirk said, with a sigh. He'd found the talking sword on one of his forays away from the Lang Farm; after his grandfather's sword had been broken in battle.

"_Mother just about had a conniption when she found out I had broken Grandfather's sword_….._If Uncle Dan hadn't interceded, I would have ended up sleeping in the barn for a month!_" Dirk thought, smiling a little at the memory of his mother's angry expression, and his uncle's pleas to avoid 'banishment'. He was jolted from his thoughts when the whinnies of horses reached his ears, and then a black carriage roared past, almost running him over as it went.

"Hey! Watch where you're going! This is a public road, for pity's sake!" Dirk shouted, a bit miffed at the thought of almost having been run over. It was then that a thin scream came from the carriage itself, and a thrill ran down Dirk's spine; that was a young girl he'd heard just now!

"_And a black carriage could only mean one thing_….." Dirk thought, his mind racing as he whistled for his horse, sheathed his sword (which by now had been wiped clean with a cloth) and leaped onto the back of his steed before he could lose sight of it.

"C'mon…..Give it all you've got, Burdock. We can't lose 'em." Dirk murmured, into his horse's ear, as he bent forward across the cyborg's neck. With a slight toss of its head as a response, the horse increased its speed; slowly closing the distance between it and the carriage.

"Almost there…..just a little bit more…..Got it!" Dirk shouted, in triumph, as he gripped the door-latch and turned it. He let out a yelp when the vampire inside snarled at him and tried to block the door, but it was driven back by a satchel of garlic powder the young werewolf hunter carried on hand (just in case). When he had gained a little more ground, Dirk jumped into the carriage and looked to his right. There was the frightened young owner of the voice he'd heard just a few moments before.

" I'll get you outta here. Grab my hand." Dirk said, as calmly as his racing heart could allow. With much trepidation, the terrified girl moved over to him and clung to him, her eyes not leaving the vampire for a moment. Dirk's eyes narrowed as he glared at the vampire (who glared fiendishly back at him with blood red eyes).

"You've got a lot of nerve pickin' on girls, pal. Especially when they're so much younger than you." Dirk growled, his own tone of voice (and the audacity to speak those words) surprising him.

"Feh, you know nothing, you little upstart. We, of the Nobility, have the right to choose which humans to feed from, and to toss them aside when we're done. There's no more difference between them and other livestock." The vampire sneered, yet not moving because of the garlic the youth still had in hand.

"It's you who doesn't understand anything." Dirk growled, then turned to the girl. Her long, coppery-brown hair was tangled, and her clothing was torn; but her bright blue eyes were clear.

"_Must've gotten to her just before the vampire could bite her_….._I just hope my luck holds._" Dirk thought, then held the girl close to him with one arm.

"Hang on to me, we're gonna jump!" Dirk told her, getting a wordless nod from the terrified girl. Seconds later, he'd done just that; releasing the garlic powder as he did so.

"Burdock, get us outta here!" Dirk shouted, as he landed on the cyborg horse's back, grabbed the reins, made sure the girl was secure before him in the saddle, then took off in the opposite direction.

"_Whoever has been lookin' out for me so far, please let me get back to town, and get her to safety! Please!_" Dirk thought, desperately, as he bent low over the girl; shielding her with his own body, in case an attack came from behind….Which he hoped wouldn't. Little did he realize that the entire impromptu rescue had just been witnessed…….

…………………………

D yanked hard on the reins of his horse and skidded to an abrupt halt when his eyes beheld the unusual scene before him. In the blink of an eye, a youth had come from nowhere, raced alongside his target's carriage, opened the door, pulled the girl out, and was now charging back towards the town the girl had been kidnapped from.

"D, what is it? What just happened?" Left asked, confused by his host's sudden stop.

"I think we have competition." D muttered, matter-of-factly, as he watched the younger man's form disappear into the darkness.

"Really? Who could've heard about this? From what the headman had told you, you were the first to arrive to ask about the job!" Left stated, remembering what the worried man had told D earlier that same evening.

"It doesn't matter. I may have been mistaken, anyway. The target is beginning to give chase." D said, as he watched the carriage turn around and take off after the youth.

"Well? What're you gonna do? You aren't gonna let the poor kid pay for his mistake, are you?" Left asked. D sighed.

"What do you think?" D replied, in exasperation, as he spurred his horse into motion again, wheeling about to take the shortcut back into town to meet the youth, and his pursuer. Little did D realize that, with this move, the wheels of fate were beginning to turn……..

……………………………

"Oh crap!" Dirk shouted, as he tore through the town's abandoned streets, with an almost demonic carriage on his heels.

"I thought you were a vampire hunter and that you knew what you were doing!" the girl's voice cried, her eyes wide with fear as the fearsome visage of the vampire appeared behind them on top of the carriage.

"I'm not! I think you were thinkin' of somebody else! I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, that's all! I'm a werewolf hunter, for cryin' out loud!" Dirk replied, ignoring 'Marv' when he muttered something about 'getting in deep this time', and concentrated on getting himself out of the sticky situation. Both he and girl let out cries of surprise when a figure materialized out of the gloom.

"Whoa, Burdock! WHOA!" Dirk shouted, pulling back on the reins as hard as he could to try and prevent a collision with the other rider. The cyborg horse complied, skidding to a halt just inches from the mystery rider. Unfortunately, Dirk and the girl just kept going; they ended up in the lap of the other rider and slung across his saddle.

"Eek!" the girl yelped, as she slid forward, was caught by the other rider and gently placed on her feet beside his horse. Dirk, on the other hand, stopped when he was half-on and half-off of the other man's mount.

"S-sorry, sir." Dirk stuttered, his cheeks now quite red with embarrassment at the blunder on his part. The other rider merely lifted him by his belt from the saddle and placed him with the girl on the ground; but Dirk could have sworn that he'd heard a slight snicker from the man in response.

"Just stick close. This ugly business with be over with, in short order." The other man said, as he dismounted, unsheathed his own sword, and stood at bay in front of the vampire.

"_Things are about to get ugly._" Dirk mused, as he watched the other man face off with the undead.

"Get the girl to safety. The church behind you should suffice." The other man murmured.

"_Duh! Holy ground! Vampires can't stand such places! Why hadn't I thought of that!_" Dirk wondered, cursing his own stupidity as he rushed to get the girl into the church, leaving the other man's side for a moment.

……………………………….

"_Well now, he has a good head on his shoulders. Anybody else would've been paralyzed by fear._" Left commented, when the youth had turned to the girl and motioned to the church without saying a word.

"_Indeed. There is more to him than meets the eye_….._ and something disturbingly familiar._" D mused, and Left noticed his unease.

"_And that would be_….." Left asked, trying to egg his host on.

"_None of your business._" D silently retorted.

"_Sheesh. Okay, okay, I get the point. I won't try to get any details on your personal life_…….._Spoilsport._" Left grumbled, as D returned his full attention to the vampire in front of him.

"Stand aside, Dunpeal. This is none of your concern." The vampire growled, blood-tinted eyes narrowing when he saw his potential victim escape into the church, and as the youth that had aided her turned to watch the confrontation. D's eyes narrowed slightly.

"When vampires are concerned, it becomes my problem. Your kind should have gone extinct long ago." D replied, coolly. There was no response from the vampire, but, the battle-light was in its' eyes.

"I'll make you regret you were even born, Dunpeal!" the vampire roared, as he dove at D with a sword in hand. D prevented himself from turning when he heard a sharp, metallic 'clang!' come from behind him, yet stiffened in surprise when Left discovered what had just occurred.

"_The kid just saved your life!_" Left's mental voice yelped, sharing the image he'd just seen with his host (right-side up, of course). There stood the youth, his sword unsheathed and glaring dangerously into the shadows of the alley behind D; a broken silver spear lying in shards at his feet. Before D could ponder on the youth's actions any further, the attacking vampire brought him back to the here-and-now. He let out a pained grunt when the vampire's sword thrust its' way deep into one of his blind spots, and hissed when his opponent dragged the sword through his flesh a little ways before withdrawing it; leaving a large gash in his abdomen. As D fell to one knee, he heard the youth let out a fierce yell, then watched in utter shock as he launched himself at the vampire with sword…..and fangs….bared.

"_Is he_….._? Could he be_…." D wondered, shaking his head as his vision blurred, and as pain started to intensify. The last image his mind registered before darkness claimed him was when the youth sliced the head of the vampire off, and the head bounced away into the shadows before dissolving into ashes……..

…………………………………

"Well done, kid. You gave in to your dark side, but, hey, so does my host sometimes." A voice said from nowhere, when Dirk's ire had faded, and he had returned to himself.

"What the heck did I just…….?" Dirk asked, turning in the direction the voice had come from and was alarmed to see that the other man was down.

"Hey! Hang in there!" Dirk shouted, as he carefully turned the other man over onto his back. He winced when he saw the deep gash in the other man's abdomen, and how much blood had already been lost.

"This wound's been poisoned…..His blood isn't clotting as it should……If this keeps up, he'll be dead before sunrise." Dirk murmured, his mind pushing aside any notion of panic and settling on the need the man had for immediate medical attention.

"Let me see the wound, Dirk. I may be able to purge it……but I highly doubt it, since the one you're trying to help is a dunpeal." Marv said, in his usual droll and depressed tone.

"Shut it, Marv. I don't want to hear any more negative talk from you tonight. Just do what you can." Dirk ordered, irritated with his manic-depressive sword to say the least.

"All right." Marv replied, dully, as Dirk lowered the guard part of the sword to the gaping wound. No sooner was it three inches in front of the flesh a face mysteriously appeared on the metal guard, and eyed the wound gravely.

"Well? Is there anything you can do?" Dirk asked, his ears pricking slightly when he heard light footsteps the girl, he realized coming towards him.

"Let me see……" Marv muttered, as he pulled himself from Dirk's grasp and landed in the wound. The man flinched; his impassive, grey face taking on a slight wince in response.

"Is he all right?" the girl asked, speaking calmly for the first time in Dirk's presence.

"I don't know. Marv is trying to find out now if he can dilute the poison." Dirk replied, solemnly.

"What will you do if he can't?" the girl again asked, surprising Dirk when she didn't ask about how a sword could have a mind of its own. Dirk shrugged helplessly.

"Again, I don't know. I'm a werewolf hunter by trade, so I know how to concoct poisons that would leave werewolves in pain, and I can tell which poisons are at work if I'm familiar with the symptoms……It would take a professional herbalist to mix an antidote together to save him, however. Whatever that vampire had used on him, it's something way beyond my league." Dirk admitted. The girl then gave him a grim smile.

"That is part of the reason I was kidnapped. My mother had trained me in all sorts of herbal lore, so I know of all different kinds of poisons and their cures. That vampire wanted to make sure he could control this town's medicine supply by holding me hostage." The girl said, as she boldly kneeled down beside the wounded dunpeal and placed a hand to his sweaty brow.

"A monopoly, in other words." the voice from before said again, thoughtfully. The girl and Dirk exchanged confused glances.

"Was that you?" the girl asked.

"Nope. Wasn't me. And it wasn't Marv, either." Dirk stated, then looked down at the dunpeal's left hand. It was moving peculiarly; almost as though it had a mind and will of its' own. It raised itself so that it was eye level with the two, then a face appeared in the palm.

"Howdy!" the left hand greeted, smirking when he saw a deadpan expression appear on Dirk's face, and as a somewhat disbelieving look graced the girl's daintier features.

"This poor sod has it bad." Dirk muttered, then added, "And I had thought I was the unlucky one!"

"Oh, come now! Don't be like that! At least I don't have a negative attitude!" the left hand argued, sounding a bit insulted by Dirk's statement. Dirk's expression remained the same.

"I only have your word against his. He would probably say a thing or two to the contrary, if he were conscious." Dirk said, matter-of-factly, as the girl allowed herself a slight chuckle, then got right down to business.

"I think I know the poison, but what I need to make the antidote is back at the house. Can you lift him?" the girl asked.

"I can try. Marv? Were you able to dilute it?" Dirk asked, as he returned his attention to his sword. The sword promptly removed itself from the wound for a moment, then shook itself in the way a human would shake his head.

"Then we're gonna have to hurry. Burdock." Dirk called, getting an immediate response from his horse in that it walked right up to him and lowered its' front half.

"Good boy." Dirk murmured, as he carefully lifted the injured dunpeal onto the cyborg's back, then mounted. With extreme care, the young hunter manipulated the other man so that he was sitting on the saddle, and Dirk was astride behind it (not the most comfortable position, granted, but it was all Dirk could do at this point).

"What about me?" the girl asked, looking a bit miffed at having been forgotten.

"Do you think you can ride his horse?" Dirk asked, in turn, as he nodded to the dunpeal's horse. The girl nodded.

"Yes." The girl replied, as she mounted the pitch-black cyborg with grace, then started riding in the direction of her home.

"I suppose we're staying with her then?" Marv asked (who, by now, was cleaned off and back in his sheath).

"Until this guy starts feeling better." Dirk said.

"Or until the master of the house kicks us out." Marv muttered.

"Shut up, Marv." Dirk grumbled, as he followed the girl into the lamp-lit part of town, and through the gates of a grand mansion.

"_I hope this guy makes it. I have to do all I can to help, since I was the reason he got distracted in the midst of that fight._" Dirk mused, silently, as they rode around to the back, where some servants waited anxiously for their young mistress' return.


	3. Chapter Two: Discoveries

Chapter Two: Discoveries

D groaned as consciousness slowly returned to him. At first, disorientation reigned in his pain-fogged mind; where was he? He could feel what felt like a soft feather mattress under him, and equally soft blankets were drawn up to his chest.

"_When was the last time I'd slept in a bed? I can't even recall_……." D mused, as he experimentally flexed his hands, then tried to lever himself onto his elbows.

"Take it slow, D. don't push yourself." Left said, surprising D with the note of concern that was in his voice.

"How long have I been out?" D asked, softly, startled by how weak he sounded, as he allowed himself to relax back again; the pain in his side warning him to not move for the time being.

"Almost a full week. That poison was potent……almost too much for even somebody like you. It's a good thing that kid was there to bail ya out." Left murmured, smirking slightly when he felt his host's chagrin, and then arching an 'eyebrow' when confusion took its' place.

"Kid?" D asked, not even bothering to mask his confusion on the matter.

"You don't remember? The kid who rescued the victim of your quarry?" Left asked, in turn. It took D a few moments for his strangely fragmented memory to coalesce; and when it did, he had to keep himself from bolting upright.

"_That boy had been part-vampire himself!_" D's mind shouted, as he glanced around the room warily, looking for his sword and weapons. To his relief, he spotted them on the far side of the room; the sword carefully leaned against the wall, and his weapon belts, cloak, and hat were on the chair beside it. As fate would have it, almost as soon as he'd located them, the person in question quietly entered the room, with the girl at his side.

"Glad to see that you're awake, sir. I was afraid you wouldn't make it." the youth said, looking as relieved as he must have felt.

"How long have I been here?" D asked, coolly; grey eyes scrutinizing their faces carefully.

"I would've thought Lefty'd told you once you woke up. Don't tell me he was asleep on the job!" the youth said, in exasperation.

"I was not! I told him!" Left argued, defensively, his shouting getting a flinch from D in the process.

"You made yourself known to them?" D growled, with a deadpan expression now beginning to take up residence on his face.

"Yeah……but it's only because both of these kids have vampire blood in 'em." Left explained. The deafening silence that followed would have made a dropping pin sound like a hand grenade going off.

"How much…..?" D finally asked, his voice so soft that both of the young people in front of him had a difficult time hearing him.

"I beg your pardon?" the girl asked, finally breaking her silence in his presence.

"How much vampire blood do you each have in you?" D again asked, his voice only a little bit louder than before.

"I am one-quarter vampire, sir." The youth replied, quietly; with a hint of shame in his voice.

"One-eighth, sir. My mother was one-quarter vampire as well." The girl said, also with shame in her voice. D only sighed and placed his right hand to his face.

"Of all the cruel jokes fate has played on me……..this has to be one of the worst. If you don't mind telling me, what are your names?" D asked, as he brushed his hair away from his face, and looked at them again.

"Dirk Lang is my name, sir." The youth replied, confidently.

"Belladonna Collins, of the ill-fated Collins Clan; at your service." The girl chirped, jokingly, trying to lighten the mood in the room. D allowed himself a slight smile in response to the girl's attempt at humor. He'd heard of the Collins Clan during his long years of travelling alone, and it did indeed seem as though the family was cursed.

"_Pretty lighthearted for a descendent of that poor sod, eh, D?_" Left asked, telepathically this time. D nodded slightly, then turned his attention to 'Dirk'.

"You'd said your last name was 'Lang'……Are you in any way related to the Langs of Ransylva?" D asked. This got a genuinely surprised look from Dirk as an answer.

"Yes! In fact, I was born on the Lang Farm. My mother was Doris Lang." Dirk replied. If it had even been possible, D got even paler than he had been before.

"She wasn't attacked by another vampire, was she?" D asked, with anger coloring his words, ever-so-slightly. Dirk shook his head.

"Ever since a vampire hunter named D wiped out the Lee Clan, vampires have steered clear of the area……I guess you could say that they're afraid of him, and his reputation." Dirk said, trying his best to reassure D and put his worst fears to rest. To his relief, D relaxed somewhat, but some of the tension remained.

"If that is the case, how is it that you have vampire blood in you at all?" D questioned.

"The vampire hunter is my father." Dirk replied. Once again, silence fell over the trio; but this time it was stunned silence.

"Your……father…..?" D whispered, almost too shocked to speak. Dirk nodded.

"Before I left the farm, my uncle told me my father's name, and gave me the pendant he had given him while in the depths of Count Lee's castle. It is really all I have to go on." Dirk stated, as he showed D the aforementioned pendant.

"_Son of a gun! It is the pendant you'd left with that kid! How in the world could you have hidden something like that from me!_" Left asked, his question barely even being heard by the stunned brain of his host.

"Sir?" Dirk asked, when he saw D pale again; afraid for the other man's health, first and foremost.

"I'm sorry, Dirk. I truly am. Not only did I burden Doris, but I have also cursed you with the same wretched existence I have had to endure for so long. Please, forgive me." D murmured, sadly, as he lowered his gaze from the youth in shame.

"You're D? You're my father?" Dirk asked, his tone now one of shock and disbelief. D only nodded.

…………………………

For several long moments, Dirk stood where he was in stunned silence. This dunpeal he and Belladonna had worked so hard to save was, in fact, his father!

"_I can't believe it_….._I simply can't believe it! This is him! This is my father! And he'd been right in front of me the entire time!_" Dirk's mind yelped, as he stared, wide-eyed, at the dunpeal in front of him. Then he shook off his disbelief, moved forward, and placed a hand on the man's shoulder; smiling calmly when the other looked up.

"I always used to wonder why my mother called me her 'gift' when I was younger. Now I know….. I also know now why there was always sadness in her eyes when she thought I wasn't looking. She missed you terribly, and even called out for you on her deathbed…..I wish you could have been there while I was growing up, yet I understand your reasons for moving on. Mixed blood such as ours doesn't permit us to remain in one place for too long; we don't age, and, when angered, there's no guarantee that those around us will be safe." Dirk said, quietly, surprising D with his clarity of mind.

"But there is something you don't know about the vampire blood we both share,….son….Something that makes it so potent and deadly…." D whispered, averting his gaze again out of shame.

"What is it?" Dirk asked, as he sat down in the chair beside the bed, and gazed intently at his father's face.

"Dirk, you are the grandson of Dracula himself." Left said, before D could say anything. Dirk sat back in shock and surprise.

"Dracula……? Y'mean to tell me that he'd actually existed? And that I am actually related to him by blood?" Dirk asked, as D nodded and gave him a grave look.

"This also means that, even though you are one-quarter vampire, you have the strength of a normal dunpeal thanks to that cursed blood." D murmured, with self-loathing in his voice as he said that.

"Whoa……" Dirk muttered. No wonder he'd transformed when D had been struck down by the vampire!

"_I'm a freak!_" Dirk thought, then shook his head and looked boldly at his father.

"Be that as it may, Dad, I'm glad you are my father, and not that rotten Count Magnus Lee." Dirk said, once again getting a stunned look from D.

"Why?" D asked.

"Because you have a sense of honor he didn't. That's why." Dirk stated, matter-of-factly.

"Certainly can't deny that, kid. And it has gotten your father into some pretty sticky situations in the past. Like the time when…..mmmph!" Left started, then was cut off by D shoving the possessed hand under the pillow behind his head; revealing a rather irritated expression while he was at it. Dirk smirked, while Belladonna giggled at the muffled cursing that was now coming from underneath D's head.

"Kind of reminds me of what I have to go through when I'm on the road with Marv." Dirk murmured, still with a wry smirk on his face as he said that.

"'Marv'?" D asked, sounding a little curious (and, not to mention, grateful) about the change in subject.

"My sword. His full name is 'Marvin', but I call him 'Marv' for short. I think he was named after some robot in an old sci-fi series, but I can't be too sure." Dirk replied, with a shrug. This got an arched eyebrow from D, and then a small smirk.

"I think I know which series the name came from, and I am inclined to think that fate has a rather perverse sense of humor." D muttered, still smirking when Left finally shut up.

"I think I'm inclined to agree with you, Dad, on more than one count." Dirk murmured, his expression deadpanning when the sword they'd been talking about started singing something about a 'nowhere man'.


	4. Chapter Three: Memories

Chapter Three: Memories

He was vaguely aware of the constant movement of his horse beneath him, as he rode up yet another hill. Blood seeped from between soaked fingers; a grim testament to how badly he'd been injured, and how much help he desperately needed now.

"D, your wound is festering. If you don't stop soon, you'll pass out." Left warned, somewhat unnecessarily, when the dunpeal doubled over a little and winced. D had realized this, of course; yet it didn't explain why he was now heading back to Ransylva.

"Why am I returning? What am I hoping to find here?" D wondered, as he struggled to right himself in his saddle, looking up just in time to see the Lang Farm appear before him like a mirage; taunting him with its promise of help, relative safety and…_belonging? Briefly, D wondered why his mind even brought up the suggestion. Him? Belonging somewhere? Rubbish; and he knew it. _

"My mind is rambling….._Going into shock, most likely. I've lost a great deal of blood, and heat syndrome is beginning to set in_……_if I don't get under cover soon, I will indeed pass out_…._" D mused, grimacing as a shudder rattled through him, and gritting his teeth when it aggravated the injury in his stomach. _

"As I keep telling you, shoving that sword into your own gut had not been a good idea." Left commented, having guessed where D's train of thought now was.

"It was the only way to kill that particular mutant. If there had been any other way, believe me, I would have considered it." D grumbled, keeping his voice low, since even the effort of talking sent stabs of pain through him. Sensing that his host did not want to speak any more on the subject, Left wisely shut his mouth. Irking D to the point of getting the threat of him cutting off the hand he possessed was definitely not the wise thing to do. Finally, after what seemed to the wounded hunter like ages, D made it to the gates of the Lang Farm; just as the sun was beginning to sink into the west. On cue, Dan appeared from the side of the barn, blaster rifle in hand, chasing off mist monsters with some well-aimed blasts. He turned when he heard the sound of D's horse (it made a sort of 'whirring' sound when it was standing still. Something Left referred to as 'idling') and gasped when he saw who it was.

"D! You came back! I knew you….._would_….._Oh! You're hurt!" Dan yelped, when D dismounted, and the wound in his midsection was in plain view to the boy. _

"Dan, where is your sister?" D asked, his voice gaining a strained note in it as he leaned against his horse for support.

"She went into town for some supplies…._D, you should come inside. That wound needs treatment." Dan said, concernedly, watching D's already paler than pale face for any signs that he was about to pass out. D offered him a ghost of a doubtful look. _

"And you know how to treat such wounds?" D asked, skeptically.

"No. But I can try to at least stop the bleeding till Nee-san gets home." Dan stated. Reluctantly, D agreed to accompany the boy back within the barrier, and into the house itself.

……..……….…..…..…. 

…………………………………….

When D was situated on the couch in the living room, Dan rushed around the house; trying to locate all of the first aid supplies he knew were going to be needed.

"There must've been something on the sword that prevents vampires or dunpeals from healing as quickly as they normally can……_I hope Nee-san gets here soon. She's the only one I know of that can stitch that wound closed." Dan thought, trying his level best to keep from panicking; he knew that panicking would only make matters that much worse. When he returned to D's side, he could tell that the Hunter was in serious pain; his face was almost chalk white, and his breathing was an unsteady wheeze that was barely escaping from between clenched teeth. _

"Please hang on. Nee-san will be here soon…._" Dan said, softly, as he gingerly unbuttoned D's shirt and got a closer look at the wound. He winced when he saw the neat slice in the dunpeal's flesh, and was glad that the sword didn't go all the way through. _

"That jerk had taken at least half of the blade." Dan mused, bitterly, as he placed a cloth soaked in medication onto the wound, jumping when D uttered a soft cry of pain and gripped his stomach with his right hand.

"Dan, Doris is approaching the gate. Go and let down the barrier for her." D gasped, showing that his mind was still clear, despite the pain he was in. Dan hesitated for a brief moment, then nodded and dashed off to do just that.

………. 

……………………………………

Doris looked up in surprise when the barrier shut down just as she reached the opening, and when Dan rushed outside to greet her.

"Dan, what's going on? Has something else turned up missing?" Doris asked. Dan shook his head and gave her an almost frantic look.

"Nee-san, D's back! He's returned! And he's hurt! Please, Nee-san, you've gotta help him!" Dan blurted, astonishing Doris with the news of D's return. Yet, when it had completely sunk in, Doris dashed indoors to see for herself how badly D had been injured. Shock settled in even further when she beheld the figure on the couch; there lay D, with a blood-soaked cloth pressed to his abdomen. His face was deathly pale, his eyes were closed, and his dark hair clung to his face and neck. Carefully, so as not to startle him, Doris approached the couch, then kneeled and placed a hand on his face. In response to her touch, D opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Now that he is here, I don't know what to say….._" Doris thought, as she gazed at the piteous sight of the wounded Hunter. _

"Do…._you want me to leave?" D asked, softly, from between gasps. _

"No. Not while you're this badly hurt. Do you think you can move? There's a bed in the back bedroom you can use while you recover." Doris said, gently, as she brushed his bangs from his face (he'd removed his hat shortly after entering the house).

"I can try….._but I can't guarantee anything_…._" D whispered, grimacing as he levered himself onto his elbows and sat up. Doris watched him with a look of pity and worry in her eyes. _

"He was expecting me to throw him out!……._Well, I guess that is about all the 'kindness' he has ever received, until now." Doris thought, reaching out when she saw him about to try and get to his feet. _

"Take it slow. Don't push yourself….._C'mon. I'll help you." Doris said, as she got on D's right hand side, wrapped an arm gingerly about his waist, and helped him stand. Doris was impressed by D's valiant efforts as they walked to the room; even though he was leaning on her, she was not carrying all of his weight. And, not once, did he utter a groan or whimper of pain. Yet, despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but sigh in relief when they reached the room and he was allowed to lie down again. _

"You weren't trying to be 'macho' were you?" Doris asked, with a slight teasing tone in her voice. D opened one eye and gave her a wry look.

"Not at all……_I just didn't want you to worry,_……_that's all." D murmured, looking away when Dan entered the room with a bowl of hot water, a washcloth, medicine, a needle and thread, and bandages. _

"Thanks, Dan." Doris said, then returned her concerned gaze to D.

"Is he gonna be all right, Nee-san?" Dan asked, worriedly.

"Hai. I'll make sure of it. Now, if you don't mind, go and feed the livestock." Doris ordered, quietly. Reluctantly, Dan did as he was told; yet not without a final look back at the dunpeal on the bed.

"You didn't….._seem too surprised about the injury. Did Dan tell you?" D asked, as he levered himself onto one elbow and watched Doris get ready to treat his wound. _

"Hai, he told me everything after we got back here. Even what had almost happened when I was under the thrall of the vampire." Doris said, giving D an ashamed look while she was at it.

"You needn't feel ashamed. Lee was a powerful vampire. Even your strong will at full strength wouldn't have been enough to stand up to him on its' own." D stated, quietly, laying back and allowing Doris to remove the cloth; uttering only a hiss of pain when she started cleaning the wound with the fresh cloth and the hot water.

"This wound is deep……_and, from what I can tell, you have some other injuries as well. Did you get caught in the castle's collapse?" Doris asked, after she'd cleaned the wound, and then removed D's shirt; getting a good look at his chest and shoulders as she did so. _

"In some ways, yes." D replied, looking a little self-conscious since his shirt was now off, and the scars from his many battles were in plain view. As Doris continued to treat the injury to D's stomach, she noticed the abnormal amount of heat rising from his skin, the sheen of sweat on his brow, and the faint rattling sound in his lungs as he breathed.

"He's allowed this wound to go too long without treatment….._" Doris mused, as she cleansed her hands on a towel, then threaded her needle. She knew now how serious the situation was; D was on the verge of becoming seriously ill, thanks to his exhaustion and severe loss of blood. _

"D, I'm going to start stitching the wound closed now. It might hurt a little, but try to lie still, okay?" Doris asked. D looked at her and nodded; his faith in her abilities surprising her. Without further ado, Doris got started. Her heart ached when she felt him flinch under her in response to the needle going into his flesh, but felt warmth when she noticed how valiantly D was holding off his discomfort in front of her.

"He doesn't want me to worry about him…._But I'm afraid that will be impossible, considering how sick he already is. I cannot help but worry." Doris thought, as she continued closing the wound. She finished just as Dan returned. _

"Perfect timing. You can help me bandage his wounds now." Doris stated, as she motioned for Dan to help her lift D slightly (since, by now, he was unconscious from the blood loss and illness) and began winding the linen strips around D's midsection.

"Nee-san, is D going to be all right?" Dan asked, when they had finished the bandaging and looked upon the sleeping dunpeal with a look of worry on his young face.

"I honestly don't know. Considering what he is, he'll probably pull through all right…._But I found quite a bit of infection in the wound and he is already sick because of it_…._We'll just have to wait and see." Doris murmured, as she pulled the covers over the ill Hunter, brushed a hand across his fevered brow, and then started gathering the medical supplies. _

"Please pull through, D." Doris thought, as she finished the task at hand, then ushered Dan out of the room; turning out the light and leaving the room behind him not long afterwards.

…..….…..….…….…..……………..………..….….…. 

……………………………….

With a soft moan, D found himself rousing up after what seemed an immeasurable amount of time.

"My head is killing me." D thought, wincing as his head pounded in time with his heartbeat.

"Are you awake, D?" Doris' voice asked, softly, as Doris herself appeared in his line of sight.

"Barely…._My head hurts, and the rest of my body doesn't feel that much better_…._How long was I out?" D in turn asked, whispering since his throat was also protesting. _

"Almost four days. You've still got a high fever." Doris replied, as she gently brushed a cool hand against his brow to prove her point. D sighed.

"I would have thought that I'd have healed by now." D murmured, coughing a little when his own breath scratched against his throat.

"Same here…._D, was there anything on the blade of that sword that is making it difficult for you to recover?" Doris asked. D closed his eyes for a moment and sighed; the effort of even staying awake almost being too much for him. _

"Normally I would put a sort of polish on the blade that makes it deadly for vampires….._But it has been quite a while since I'd last applied it." D said, softly. This got a nod from Doris in response. _

"Maybe it's the residue that has made you so sick." Doris mused, aloud.

"Possibly." D agreed, tiredly. He flinched, and then stiffened, when Doris reached over and checked the bandages; the slightest amount of pressure sending lancing pain through his stomach. Doris noticed this and was quick to apologize.

"I'm sorry. I know how much this hurts. If I hadn't been so easily swayed by the vampire, then maybe this wouldn't have happened." Doris said, as guilt and self-loathing warred for supremacy on her pretty face.

"Doris, as I have already said, you had no control over it. You need to stop hating yourself and beating yourself over the head with this. The past is the past, and there is no changing it…._Believe me, if I could change the past, I would have done so already." D said, his voice barely above a whisper. He was a bit surprised when tears started making their way down Doris' cheeks. _

"Be that as it may, I was the reason you were injured, and I will see to it that you recover…._No matter what people say about my decision." Doris declared, as she bent down and brushed her lips against D's; startling the dunpeal even further. _

"Doris….._!" D gasped, taken completely off guard by her bold move. Even moreso by what she said next. _

"I want you to know that I love you…._ Despite who and what you are to others; to me, you are more of a man than any of those in the whole of Ransylva. You're honorable and courageous in the face of odds that would send them scurrying for the nearest hole_…._D, when you do leave us after your wounds have healed, please remember that, wherever your paths take you, you'll keep us in your heart." Doris whispered, gently. Stunned at first that she had said so much to him with such gentleness, D then collected himself, and nodded. _

"I will. You have my word." D promised, unable to explain the lighter feeling that had taken up residence in his heart as soon as he had said that. Doris then smiled, wholeheartedly.

"Thank you, D. Now, get some rest. I've kept you awake long enough, as it is." Doris said, as she placed a cool, damp cloth onto D's brow. With only a slight nod in response, D allowed his eyes to flutter shut, and allowed deep slumber to take over. Since there were no more vampires in the area, he could afford to take such a risk…._Besides, if he couldn't trust the two humans he'd nearly given his life to protect now, would he ever?_

….….….…..….….…..….….…. 

…………………………….

"_And the rest, as they used to say, is history._" D mused, sadly, knowing that it was not too long afterwards that he'd recovered completely from his injuries, and left the Lang Farm (after some 'private time' with Doris, of course), not realizing that Doris was pregnant.

"_Now I have to live with that decision. From what Dirk had told me earlier, his mother never did get married, while Dan later did and brought his own family into the home, knowing what Dirk was. It must have taken a considerable amount of courage on their part._" D thought, watching as Dirk entered the room with a tray in hand. D arched an eyebrow when he saw what was on it.

"Spagetti? Or is it just the sauce?" D asked. Dirk's expression deadpanned.

"There's some noodles on the plate! You just…..can't see 'em." Dirk muttered, as he sat down across from his father and placed the tray in his knees.

"Right…." D and Left mumbled, at the same time, then gave one another disbelieving looks; they'd just agreed on something!

"So, I see he's awake. How do you feel, sir?" Belladonna asked, as she appeared in the doorway.

"Better, thanks to the attention you've been giving my wound. As it is, I almost feel ready to leave." D stated, smirking slightly when Dirk almost dropped his plate of food. Belladonna smiled and nodded.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, but I wouldn't suggest going anywhere for a little while longer. It'll probably take some more time for it to completely heal, so don't push yourself." Belladonna said, her own expression deadpanning when she heard Dirk noisily slurping the noodles out from under the sauce. He stopped when he saw that both D and Belladonna were now staring at him.

"Uh…….sorry….." Dirk said, sheepishly; getting sighs from the both of them. 

"I'm looking through you, where did you go? I thought I knew you, what did I know……" Marv sang, loud enough to be heard, and off-key enough to be obnoxious.

It was enough to startle Dirk into dropping his dinner(?), and getting a scowl from him as well.

"Knew I should've left 'im in that lake where I found 'im……" Dirk growled, as he stomped out of the room, heading for where he'd stowed his sword; with the intent to give the offending piece of possessed metal a piece of his mind.

"_D, are you absolutely sure this isn't Monty Python's Flying Circus?_" Left telepathically asked, as insults and taunts came to their ears.

"_You know, I'm starting to wonder the same thing_….." D replied, dryly, as the shouting match continued, and as Belladonna merely sighed and parked herself in the chair on the other side of his bed; opening a book and attempting to ignore the noise….with some measure of success.

Author's Note!

Sorry about the long delay in chapters, but this chapter was particularly hard to write! Maybe now the story will start to 'come together' easier, since now the AU for 'VHD: Bloodlust' can begin……Please stay tuned, and thanks again for your patience!

Gemini14


	5. Chapter Four: Assignments

Chapter Four: Assignments

The end of D's brief recovery time came in the form of an urgent letter addressed to him from the Elbourne family. Even though he was still painfully sore from the healing-over injury, D set a brisk pace for himself as he gathered his belongings for the trip. From the doorway of D's room, Dirk watched with uncertainty (and a minute trace of worry) in his eyes.

"You sure you're really ready for this, Dad?" Dirk asked, as D sat down on the bed and adjusted the strap of one of his saddlebags.

"No. But the letter stated that my services are required." D replied, wincing slightly as he bent down to put the bag on the floor in front of him; unwittingly putting his left hand to his abdomen when the action pulled on the healing-over wound.

"Then I'm goin' with you." Dirk stated, his tone brooking no argument from his parent as he also made ready to leave.

"Dirk, I wouldn't if I were you. You don't know the first thing about hunting vampires." D argued, more worried about his son's safety than trying to preserve his own solitary lifestyle.

"What better time than now to learn? Besides, from the way that letter had sounded when you read it out last night, it seems you could use all the help you can get." Dirk said, as he sat alongside the infamous Hunter and readied his own saddlebags for departure. D sighed; yes, he could certainly see Doris' stubbornness in the youth, added to and mixed with his own.

"_And, don't forget he's got that impetuous nature that he'd inherited from you as well._" Left commented, getting a rolling of eyes from his host as a response.

"All right, all right. Since I can't seem to talk you out of this, you might as well come along. But you're learning this trade at your own risk. I won't have time to come to your rescue every time you get yourself into a tight spot. Am I making myself clear?" D asked, smirking slightly when he got an abrupt stand and crisp salute from the younger Hunter.

"Crystal clear, sir!" Dirk replied.

"Good….Now, we'd best hurry, before it gets too hot out there. I don't know what your tolerance is for direct sunlight, but I would rather not have you find out about heat syndrome the hard way as I had to." D murmured, as he stiffly stood and walked out of the room, with Dirk following almost eagerly behind him.

……………………..

It took close to three days to reach the rendezvous point. As they rode side by side, Dirk was aware that nervous gunmen that were positioned in the rocky outcrops around them were watching him and his father.

"Dad, are you sure about this? They're drawing a bead on us." Dirk murmured, as his sensitive ears picked out the sounds of men breathing, and guns being readied for firing.

"Just ignore them. If you make any sudden movements, they will fire." D replied, as they rode up into the courtyard of the destroyed church and dismounted.

"Point taken…..sheesh….These guys are so jumpy that they're a danger to the local wildlife. Who the heck are we up against, anyway?" Dirk asked, as they entered the bombed out structure.

"We're about to find out." D said, softly, coming to a stop when a young man who had his arm in a sling greeted them.

"Welcome, we've been expecting you." The man said, arching an eyebrow when he saw Dirk, but refraining from making any comment.

"I'm Allen Elbourne, and I am the one who hired you." The man continued, pausing when a rock fell from one of the men's vantage points.

"Go on, I'm listening." D murmured, coolly.

"I've hired you to rescue my sister, Charlotte. A couple of nights ago she was taken from her room in the middle of the night. Some neighbors said they saw a carriage outside of our house…..The carriage belonged to Meier Link, the vampire. Shortly afterwards some friends and I tried to go and get her back, but something destroyed our mounts……He kidnapped my sister and killed my friends." Allen murmured, then tossed a bag of gold coins onto a desk (the only piece of furniture inside the bombed-out church).

"That's just the down-payment. The reward is ten million dollars…..But you'd better hurry, since I have already hired the Markus Brothers and they've got a head start on you." Allen said, jumping when D responded for the first time.

"I don't think so." D said, softly, getting a confused glance from Dirk for that.

"What?" Allen asked.

"It might already be too late for her…..She may have already been tempted. What then?" D asked, coldly.

"You have to get there before that happens!" Allen shouted, anxiously, then added, "Why do you think we hired you?"

"Not to be rude, sir, but if you have already hired Hunters, why are you hiring us?" Dirk asked, politely.

"To make sure we get her back. She's the only sister I've got." Allen admitted, sadly. Dirk nodded silently in understanding; even though he'd had no siblings of his own, he knew what kind of fear they could go through when one went missing. He could remember quite clearly when one of his cousins had gotten lost in the wilderness once, and the frantic search that had taken place in order to find her.

"I can somewhat understand how you feel, sir, but if we are too late and she has been changed, then what do you want us to do?" Dirk asked, quietly.

"Then please be kind to her and end her life." The other man, an older, infirm gentleman, said, as he turned to face them. This got a horrified look from Allen as a response.

"No! No! You don't know what you're saying! You're talking about your daughter, for pity's sake!" Allen shouted, but got a firm rebuke from the older man for his outburst.

"That's enough!" the old man said, then turned to D and Dirk saying, "I apologize for my son's words; you'll have to forgive him. He's young and headstrong."

"I understand completely." D muttered, getting an unreadable glance from his own son as a response to that jab. The old man offered a weak smile at the attempt of levity, the continued in his explanation.

"The kidnapping of my daughter is almost more than this old soul can bear. If you met her, you would understand. She is kind and beautiful and it breaks my heart to think of what that vampire has in store for her. I'll double the bounty and offer you twenty million dollars….Just please…..bring her back to us, one way, or the other." The old man pleaded, as D silently moved over to the desk and grasped the bag of gold; signaling that he was accepting the job. As D placed the bag in a pocket somewhere in his cloak, Dirk picked up the picture of the kidnapped girl. The image of a young woman, about sixteen or seventeen years of age smiled happily back; her calm, hazel eyes and warm smile bringing almost a sense of sadness and nostalgia to the young quarter-vampire's mind.

"_In some ways, her expression reminds me of Mother_……_She used to get that same look in her eyes when she thought of Dad._" Dirk thought, returning to reality when D called his name and they both made their way to their mounts.

"So, Dad, any idea where the vampire's heading?" Dirk asked, curiously.

"I have my suspicions. Just stick close….From here on out, our path darkens." D said, somberly, as he spurred his horse into motion.

"Yeah…..Evening is falling, and the long night is still ahead of us." Dirk murmured, reciting what he'd heard some of the veteran Hunters say, before going out on a dangerous mission. Unbeknownst to either of them, someone now followed them away from the meeting place….and in the back of the follower's mind, the phrase was completed.

"_Where will the dawn find us?_"

Author's Note!

Sorry about the long wait between chapters, but I no longer have Internet access. I'm also aware that there are some disparities between the story and the movie, but I am doing this completely by memory….(and my memory isn't very good…). Please bear with me, and I will try to have more updates up soon! Thanks for your patience thus far, minna!

Gemini14


	6. Chapter Five: Encounters

Chapter Five: Encounters

Several days of hard riding ensued as the Vampire Hunter D and his son Dirk followed the trail left by their vampire quarry. Silently, D was impressed by his son's resolve; already, the youth had seen some of the horrors and hazards that accompanied the trade, and yet, overcame them with the same determination and grit he'd seen in Doris.

"_You'll make a fine Vampire Hunter outta that kid yet, D_..._Even though it just __might__ be the death of us._" Left commented, getting a wry smirk from D as a response.

"_You may be right about that._" D replied, noticing when Dirk drew rein and slowed down enough so he could ride alongside him.

"Dad, do you really think that that vampire we're after had killed that town back there?" Dirk asked.

"I don't know. It's hard to say, at the outset, what this Noble wants. Why do you ask?" D questioned, wanting to know what his son felt about what he'd seen.

"It just doesn't seem to fit with what we've heard about this vampire we're chasing. I can't explain why I feel this way, but I get the feeling that someone is trying to set him up." Dirk murmured, thoughtfully.

"The same thought had crossed my mind as well; but, as I had said before, we can't be certain if that is indeed the case." D stated, as he looked ahead of them at the terrain that awaited. The carriage tracks had disappeared into an expanse of undisturbed golden sand.

"_Great. A desert. You're just askin' for a bout with Heat Syndrome, aren't you?_" Left grumbled, as Dirk turned an inquiring gaze to him.

"Dirk, I want you to stay as close to me as you can. Crossing stretches of desert like this can sometimes be even more hazardous than the rest of your hunts combined." D advised, his ears listening for the telltale signs of the creatures living beneath the sand.

"I hear ya loud and clear. Lead the way." Dirk replied, eagerly; ready to learn something new. Without another word, D spurred his horse into action, heading straight into the center of the patch of sand. About three feet away, and slightly behind him, Dirk rode; carefully matching Burdock's pace with that of D's mount.

"Oh no...Don't tell me you're about to do what I think you're about to! C'mon! That's crazy! We'll never make it!" Left shouted, before two things happened; the desert suddenly became alive with the movement of some sand mantas, and D applied more pressure to his horse's flanks and took off. Within seconds, the fearless Vampire Hunter was riding along the backs of the huge mantas; his son following skillfully behind. He half-turned when he heard Dirk let out an exhilarated whoop, as he dodged the snapping teeth of the beasts, and jumped from manta to manta; smiling when he saw the thrill in the youth's eyes.

"_At least the meeting with the competition hasn't phased him._" D mused, as they arrived on the other side of the expanse, and raced into the woods that stood silently on the that side.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

_Moonlight shone down on a scene that could have only been described as a picture of hell. A town emptied of its' inhabitants stood in silent witness to the carnage that was playing out in the cemetery. Zombies of every size and age group lay where they had fallen; silver arrows sticking out of them at odd angles._

"_Rest in peace." a man murmurs, then pauses when he hears something approaching._

"_Listen. Do you hear that?" the man asks, as he turns to his compatriots, two men and a woman, and gives them an odd look. They listened for a few moments, and nodded._

"_Sounds like a couple of horses." One responds, as the other man and the woman listen intently to the sounds. Without saying a word, the apparent leader of the group notched an arrow into his small bow, closed his eyes, and took aim._

"_They're coming in at a full gallop. Uphill, by the sounds of things_..._Let's see_..._right_..._Right about_..._" the man muttered, as he followed the sounds as they moved further uphill, and all eyes turned to the spot where the origins of the sounds would appear in just a few more moments._

"_Right there!" the leader said, loosing the arrow and letting it fly. Like a guided missile, the silver arrow arced through the air; becoming almost a blur before it was caught by its' intended target. The momentum of the arrow almost pushed the black-clad rider from his mount, as he stopped it from impaling his heart. It also forced the rider to tighten his grip on the horse's reins; he pulled them back tight enough to make the horse rear. A startled yelp from beside the rider signaled that he had someone else with him. It was when the first horse's forefeet returned to the earth that the air around the group stilled; there sat the formidable figure of an infamous dunpeal Hunter, and at his side sat what appeared to be his partner._

"_Beautiful! Simply beautiful! I applaud you stranger! Been a long time since I saw talent like that! My name's Borgoff. Borgoff Markus. And these are my brothers, Kyle and Nolt, and our sister Leila. What's your name? If we're in the same game, we should be friends!" The leader of the group stated, impressed by the prowess he'd just seen._

"_D." the dunpeal Hunter replied, coldly, before turning and riding off. For a few seconds, the younger Hunter lingered; warily watching Borgoff for any signs that he was about to fire another arrow. Then he turned and followed D away from the scene._

"_Huh, so that's the guy, the famous Dunpeal Hunter. I've heard of 'im, he's amazing." Borgoff muttered._

"_Yeah, but who was that kid that was with him? None of the rumors had said that he's got an apprentice." Nolt murmured, as Borgoff thoughtfully chewed on his cigar, and started gathering his arrows._

"_Hmm_..._I'm wonderin' about that myself." Borgoff mused, aloud, as he looked in the direction the competition had gone; curiosity the chiefest of expressions on his face._

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

_Dirk breathed a sigh of relief when he and D had ridden a few miles from the town._

"_Damn, that scared the hell outta me!" Dirk muttered, then added, "I'm glad your reflexes are what they are, Dad."_

"_Be that as it may, those were our competitors." D murmured, as he turned slightly and gave his son an almost unreadable look._

"_If that's the case, then I'd hate to end up on __their__ kill list." Dirk said, matter-of-factly, as they got back on the trail of the vampire._

"_Were you actually afraid of them, Dirk?" Left asked, jokingly._

"_Let's just say that I don't have as much confidence in my own reflexes." Dirk responded, with a nervous laugh._

"_Don't worry. Your reflexes will improve over the course of this hunt. Trust me." D stated, smiling slightly when his son gave him a deadpan look._

"_You don't have to sound so ominous about it, though." Dirk replied, dryly, before they continued on their way._

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It took several days to reach their destination; but, when they did, D managed to surprise his son once again.

"Dirk, tell me what you see out there." D ordered, as they rode into what seemed to be a relatively peaceful part of the countryside.

"You mean towards the horizon-line? Not much. Why? Is there something I'm missing?" Dirk asked, as he gave his sire a questioning look. D nodded.

"When you hunt vampires, Dirk, remember this; there are many places where vampires can choose to hide during the day. Among them are resting houses." D informed, as he dismounted, but motioned for the younger Hunter to remain where he was.

"Resting houses?" Dirk asked, intrigued by this bit of information; this was something even he hadn't heard of before!

"Most of the time, they are well hidden; usually just within sight. They are designed in such a way that they mirror their surroundings. Watch." D said, as he kneeled, took up a handful of stones, and began to approach what appeared to be an empty copse. Seconds later, to Dirk's shock, several eye-like projections appeared every few seconds in the sides of the resting house D was trying to show him; and they were shooting what appeared to be lasers at the Hunter!

"_Whoa_..." Dirk's mind muttered, as he watched his father get closer and closer until he was finally in front of one of the previously indiscernible walls and placed his left hand to it.

"How many are in there?" D asked, when he'd given Left enough time to see what he could see.

"Two, I think...A man and a woman." Left replied, thoughtfully.

"See if you can find the door." D murmured, knowing that time was running out, since the sun was sinking a little too quickly in the west, for his tastes.

"All right." Left muttered, as D began to walk along the length of the wall itself. At the same time, Dirk kept watch. He knew, just as his father did, that they were quickly running out of daylight, and that the danger would only increase when the sun went down.

"_I know you know how much time we've got, Dad, but please_..._Hurry up!_" Dirk nervously thought, as he fingered his sword, and a set of daggers he'd recently bought as an extra defensive measure. He could hear the creatures of the night beginning to stir awake as the sun's rays diminished, and had a gut feeling that the vampire within the resting house was awakening too. Then, as though to add to his growing list of concerns, he could faintly hear some sort of vehicle coming towards them.

"_Just what we need_..." Dirk thought, then shouted, "Dad! I think the competition is catching up!" Seconds later, all hell broke loose. With the snarl of a motor, Leila Markus arrived on the scene, her weapons aimed at both resting house and D. She charged right into the range of the 'laser eyes', expertly dodging them as she did so.

"She's out of her mind!" Left yelped, echoing Dirk's thoughts exactly as he started to ride after her. No sooner did he move from that spot, did the door of the resting house open, and a black carriage shot out.

"_Just like the night I rescued Belladonna!_" Dirk absently thought, as he banked to the left and tried to head the carriage off.

"They're both outta their minds! The kid's gonna get himself killed!" Left shouted, watching mutely through D's eyes as Leila took a ricocheted blast from her gun (courtesy of the escaping vampire), and as Dirk bravely raced after the carriage; putting Burdock's endurance to the test.

"Not while I yet live." D muttered, as he quickly mounted and headed to the one road that the was still in reasonably good shape; hoping he could get there before something dire happened.

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Meier Link's heart raced as he tried to outrace the two Hunters that now chased him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that the youth that had been some distance away from the resting house was beginning to catch up; the determined glint in his grey eyes becoming easier and easier to see.

"_The lad has courage, I'll give him that much_..._Yet I can only hope that I won't have to kill him._" Meier thought, hating the thought of shedding the youth's blood, since he could see that he also had vampire blood within him. He was shaken from his musings when someone landed behind him.

"I'm here for the young woman." a man's voice said, quietly. This got what could only be a slight smirk from Meier as a response.

"Taking on a vampire at night is a task for morons and fools. Which are you?" Meier asked, coolly, as he stood, turned, and looked the Hunter in the eye. His innards almost froze when he realized who it was that now stood before him.

"_By the Sacred Ancestor! It's D!_" Meier's mind yelped, as he faced the dunpeal with outward calm.

"She's here by her own free will, dunpeal. I'm sure the reason you are hunting me is because of the money involved, which I am sure is a lot. But I strongly suggest you get your sorry ass out of here now, and leave us to travel in peace." Meier growled, as D began to reach for his sword.

"I would if I could believe you, Meier. But your credibility, however, is less than impeccable under the circumstances." D smoothly replied, before he was forced to unsheathe his sword by Meier himself.

"Dirk! Go back and tend to the woman's wounds! I will meet you there!" D ordered, his no nonsense tone surprising Meier in a way he hadn't thought imaginable; it was the tone a father used with his son!

"No arguments here!" the youth replied, as he drew rein and began to turn around. Somehow, Meier wasn't sure how, the youth had sensed the threat that Meier could pose to him if he'd even dared to touch the doorlatch, and wisely retreated when D told him to.

"Smart lad. Your apprentice?" Meier asked, coolly.

"My son." D growled, straining against Meier hardened cape (that he was wielding as both an edged weapon and a shield).

"_That explains the resemblance, then._" Meier mused, growling softly under his breath when D started to push him back . He hissed when the tip of D's sword sliced the flesh of his left shoulder, and grimaced when he smelled his own blood welling from the wound. Yet, before D could pull the blade back far enough to stab him in the chest, a woman's voice called out from within the carriage, in fear and concern.

"Meier!"

With that yelp, D lost all concentration as outright surprise came across his normally expressionless features, and Meier successfully knocked him from the carriage.

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D winced when Meier's weapon made contact with his chest and still-healing side, but managed to land in a skidding crouch; much to Left's displeasure.

"Ow...Okay, what'd I miss?" Left asked, sensing some confusion within his host as he said that.

"I'm beginning to think it might be true what he'd said...Otherwise, why would the girl cry out?" D murmured, as he gazed after the disappearing carriage.

"She's ignorant of his nature, a child! She really doesn't know what he's capable of." Left replied, trying to reassure his host with those words.

"_Someone is trying to set him up._" Dirk's words from before stated, circling within D's mind and making him feel that he was missing something important.

"_If that's the case, then who is doing it? And why?_" D wondered, as he slowly got back to his feet again, and began to make his way back to Dirk's side; the uneasy feeling not dissipating in the slightest.

Author's Note!

Yeah, I realize that this chapter may be a bit strange, but I am doing what I can from memory. If anybody has any idea where to find a decent script (or a very detailed summary) of VHD: Bloodlust, please let me know! Thanks!

Gemini14


	7. Chapter Six: Meetings

Chapter Six: Meetings

Dirk was waiting anxiously at Leila's side when D returned.

"You all right, Dad?" Dirk asked, when the elder Hunter had dismounted.

"I'm fine. Nothing to worry about." D replied; his earlier confusion hidden behind his usual aloof calm. Dirk breathed a sigh of relief.

"He got his ass handed to him." Left quipped, enjoying the chagrined look he momentarily got from his host as a response.

"You did a good job bandaging her wounds." D murmured, taking notice of Dirk's almost expert handiwork, "You've even managed to disinfect them." Dirk shrugged.

"I can only say that I'm glad I decided to fill my med-kit before I left Ransylva. If I hadn't, then it's likely I wouldn't be sitting here right now, since Uncle Dan would've prevented me from leaving in the first place." Dirk said, half-joking and half-serious as he concernedly glanced at the only female member of the Markus Clan.

"True enough." D stated, with almost a hint of a smile in his voice. Dan had indeed lived up to his promise.

"So, what do we do now? Stay with her till they arrive? Or continue on our way?" Dirk asked, watching as his father quietly considered the next course of action.

"We'll stay, since we can't very well leave her to fend for herself...especially since we don't know how far behind our competitors actually are." D replied. Dirk nodded in agreement.

"Good call. And I know I scented some werewolves not too far away from here...It wouldn't have been a good idea to leave her alone; armed to the teeth or not." Dirk murmured, as he eyed Leila's gun with some distrust. D resisted the urge to smirk at his son's discomfiture, yet could tell that, even though professionalism separated him from the unconscious woman, he was still human enough to care about her well-being.

"_He'd inherited Doris' common sense and kindness, all right._" D mused, as he and the young quarter-vampire settled in beside the female Hunter to wait for the Markus Clan to catch up.

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Leila groaned as she slowly roused up. Her left shoulder was positively on fire; and she vaguely remembered that the shots that she'd fired at the escaping Meier Link had been bounced back at her.

"_Undead bastard._" Leila mentally snarled, as she opened her eyes and took a look around. She instinctively stiffened when she spotted D moving towards his horse, and then Dirk sitting about three feet away from her; securing what appeared to be a medical kit back into his saddlebag. It was in that moment that she remembered her wound, and looked down to see that the top of her outfit had been opened, and the wound had been bound.

"Hey, what'd you two do to me?" Leila asked, suspiciously, after she'd checked her neck for any fang wounds.

"Bandaged your wound, and stopped the bleeding. That's all." D murmured, giving her a very slight glance when he said that.

"Yeah, right. As though I could believe you. You think you can tear off the clothes of every woman you meet...Isn't that right, Dunpeal?" Leila snapped, putting as much bite into her words as she could, and feeling satisfaction when the younger of the two Hunters flinched in response.

"Be that as it may, you should go home and nurse your wound." Dirk stated, as he also stood up and approached his horse with the saddlebag in hand.

"What're you? My mother?" Leila asked, angrily. She was taken aback when Dirk looked back and gave her a grave look.

"You called out for her earlier, I thought you might be needing her." Dirk replied with a hint of sadness in his grey eyes that made her wonder. With a start, she realized that they were leaving her behind.

"Hey!" Leila shouted, her voice trailing off in a pained groan when she moved her injured shoulder too quickly; the pain distracting her from the fact that her brothers had just caught up.

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At a river crossing a couple of miles away, Meier found himself thinking, once again, about his current situation.

"_When the last of the vampires finally die out, who will mourn our passing? Will she?_ _Will anyone?_" Meier wondered as he descended into the carriage and gently gazed at the woman he loved. She returned his look with one of very gentle concern.

"Meier? What is it? You look troubled." Charlotte said, noticing the worry that was deep in her beloved's garnet eyes.

"It is nothing. Only a passing worry, that's all." Meier replied; even though he knew that Charlotte could see right through him.

"What are you worried about? Is it the Hunters my father had hired?" Charlotte asked, noticing when Meier flinched and knowing that she'd hit the reason for his concerns right on the nose.

"Don't worry, Meier. I have faith that we'll get to where we're going." Charlotte said, confidently; trying to boost his morale a little bit. Meier gave her careworn smile.

"If you are able to say that, my love, then I also have faith that we'll make it." Meier agreed, as he planted a brief, soft kiss on Charlotte's lips, then got back to his seat on top of the carriage; his thoughts bringing almost a wry smirk to his face as he did so.

"_She has more faith in me than I do._" Meier mused, as he flicked the reins a little bit, and had the horses pick up the pace.

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"I'm a travelin' man and I've made a lotta stops all over the wooorld..."

"Shut up Marv." Dirk grumbled, as he and D rode side by side.

"Need some masking tape?" D asked, dryly.

"Yeah. Got some?" Dirk replied, his expression deadpanning when his sword starting singing even louder than before.

"Here." D said, as he tossed the spool of tape to his son, and watched with amusement as he taped the enchanted sword's mouth securely shut.

"At least I don't do that." Left grumbled, getting an unreadable look from D for that remark.

"I think Dad begs to differ, Leftie." Dirk murmured, his voice softening when the distinct sounds of footsteps on stone came to his ears.

"I do, indeed." D muttered, also having noticed what his son was hearing, and paying closer attention to his surroundings.

"Unless I'm wrong, we're getting fairly close to Barbarois territory, aren't we?" Dirk asked, after a few moments of uneasy silence. D nodded.

"Yes. The trail leads here, unfortunately." D stated, as the sounds slowly became louder, and those of growling and voices also came to their ears.

"_You're nuts, the both of you. We'll never make it out of Barbarois alive._" Left mentally grumbled, as both D and Dirk rode further and further into the forbidden territory. When they arrived at the huge gate that barred the way between the land beyond and humanity, D turned his gaze up, and spoke to the unseen watchers.

"I am D, a Hunter. I have business with the Barbarois." D murmured, watching as the gate swung slowly open, and allowed them both to enter. Almost at once, Dirk became aware of the dark presences within the 'town'; he could feel his vampire blood rising to the challenge that these presences presented, and silently snarled at them. He could hear it when some of the mutated beings within the village recognized him, and started whispering amongst themselves about the infamous werewolf Hunter of Ransylva.

"You seem to have acquired quite a reputation here, Dirk." D quietly stated, noticing Dirk's almost shocked expression at some of the whispers he was hearing.

"Yeah...I didn't know I was that well known so far out!" Dirk replied, as they rode into the village's center, and dismounted before what appeared to be the old leader of the Barbarois.

"Ah, so I see that you both have respect for your elders, seeing that you have dismounted. Very good." the white-haired elder said, with a smile.

"We've come in pursuit of a vampire." D murmured, patiently. The old man nodded.

"That I can see, young man, that I can see." the old man sneered, before adding, "Though you are both quite the sight for these old eyes to see. I have seen many a dunpeal, but the likes of you I have never seen before. Even your other companion is quite a beauty." Dirk then gave his father a confused look, and was only further confounded when a hint of the same emotion emerged in D's grey eyes as well.

"_Other companion?_" Dirk and D both thought, turning to look when another rider emerged from the shadows to their right, dismounted, and stood alongside them.

"Why were you foolish enough to follow us?" D asked, noticing when the strange creatures within the Barbarois village warily backed away from the cloaked rider.

"Well, actually..." a girl's voice replied, as the rider reached up and pushed the hood away from the face, "I wanted to try my hand at Vampire hunting, too." Dirk's eyes widened with shock, and even D appeared to be momentarily surprised.

"Belladonna?.! What the heck are you doin' here?.!" Dirk yelped, seemingly as startled as the mutants around them at the girl's appearance. The girl only smiled, secretively.

"_Yet another suicidal kid_..._You've started a trend here, D._" Left mentally muttered, as D resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"I must admit you three were quite brave to come in here, but I highly doubt you will leave here alive." the village elder said, with a sneer.

"_We'll just have to see about that._" Dirk thought, as he listened to the bolder of the mutants get even closer, and readied himself for the fight of his life. Little did he realize that things were about to get even stranger than they already were.


	8. Chapter Seven: Weaknesses

Chapter Seven: Weaknesses

It was a tense standoff. For a few moments, D, Dirk, and Belladonna found themselves facing the worst the village had to offer; half listening when the village elder jeered at them from his unicycle.

"The Barbaroi are skilled warriors! You'll be hard put to escape with your very lives, dunpeals!" the elder crowed, as D mentally took a tally of the weapons they all carried. Dirk had Marvin in one hand, and a dagger in the other, and he himself had his own longsword held at ready...That only left Belladonna unarmed.

"Belladonna, you do have a weapon, don't you?" D asked, quietly; very concerned for her safety, at this point. The girl again smiled.

"Sure do! Just waitin' for the right moment, that's all." Belladonna replied, her answer taking the more experienced Vampire Hunter off his guard a little bit.

"What better time than now, 'Donna?" Dirk whispered, restraining himself from snarling at the creatures that were closing in.

"You'll see." Belladonna chirped, surprisingly calm, despite the circumstances. And then, seconds later, all hell broke loose. Something that looked almost like a ghost started ripping through the 'village' square; destroying whatever was unlucky enough to be in its' path.

"What the devil is that?.!.?" the village elder yelped, as the being flew into sight. It was just the distraction Belladonna had been waiting for.

"Now!" Belladonna shouted, as she leaped up, unholstered what appeared to be twin tri-barreled handguns, and fired them expertly into the now-panicking monsters.

"Dad..." Dirk muttered, as he watched Belladonna fight.

"Yes, son?" D responded.

"Remind me not to get on her bad side, okay?" Dirk said, looking just a tad bit queasy at the sight of what Belladonna's guns were doing to the mutants. D managed a smirk, and shook his head.

"I'll try." D muttered, hiding his expression at Dirk's expense as he got back onto his horse, and motioned for him to do the same.

"The carriage is getting away!" Belladonna shouted, as she pointed out the quickly disappearing vehicle.

"On it!" Dirk replied, as he urged Burdock into a fast gallop that left even D's mount in the dust.

"_I think I am inclined to agree with you. My son has, in fact, lost his mind._" D thought, his expression deadpanning as he watched the younger Hunter go.

"_I told you so!_" Left's irate voice snapped back.

"Your apprentice is quite the courageous one, I see." the village elder stated, as D prepared to take off after the younger Hunter.

"I think the jury is still out on that one...though I am inclined to believe that insanity might be what it'll come back with." D muttered, resisting the urge to slap a hand to his face when Belladonna took off too; bringing up the rear in Dirk's hot pursuit.

"Insanity for you? Or for the lad and lass?" the elder again asked, with amusement clearly written on his weathered features.

"All of the above." D grumbled, as he put the spurs to his horse's flanks, and took off after the two youths. He therefore probably didn't hear the elder's parting remark over the noise of dying mutants, or the explosions going off in the background.

"I've got to hand it to you, Vampire Hunter, I admire your grit. Not only are you in the most dangerous trade the world has to offer, but you are trying to be a teacher and a father at the same time. Not an easy feat, I know that for a fact." the old leader said, as something almost akin to human sympathy for the disappearing Hunter appeared on his aged face, and then disappeared almost as quickly. It wasn't his place to have feelings like that for his enemies, and he had more to contend with at that moment.

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Days later, D found himself reunited with his son and Belladonna, once again. Dirk flinched as another appraising glare was directed at him. D was astride Belladonna's horse, just behind her, since his own horse had been killed in the pursuit of Meier Link's carriage.

"I said I'm sorry, Dad." Dirk mumbled, getting almost a growl in response to that.

"Sorry doesn't cut it. That was the most foolish thing I have ever seen you do!" D muttered, angrily, giving Belladonna a scathing look as well before continuing, "And you, Miss Collins, what the hell possessed you to follow us, anyway?"

"Curiosity, mainly. I wanted to find out just how difficult Vampire Hunting can be, that's all." Belladonna replied, surprised when both D and Left muttered something about it 'not being a hobby' under their breaths.

"Okay, okay, we're both sorry, D. But I can't go home now, since I've come so far already." Belladonna said, as the dunpeal behind her sighed in exasperation.

"_Just as hardheaded as her ancestor_..." Left mentally grumbled, and D was inclined to agree. Finally, after crossing a long stretch of desert, they arrived in a town.

"There's a stable at the end of the block. I'm going to see about getting a new horse there. I want you two to stay out of trouble until then." D said, his irritation showing a little more freely than Dirk was used to.

"Will do. C'mon 'Donna. Let's go and get something to eat. I don't know about you, but I'm starving." Dirk stated, as he dismounted, and led Burdock to a hitching post.

"Okay..." Belladonna agreed, as a troubling thought crossed her mind, "_Was it just me, or did D's temperature seem a little bit higher than normal?_" Once inside of the establishment (that of which happened to be half-bar and half-restaurant) Dirk breathed a sigh of relief when a blast of cool air hit him upon entering.

"Hello you two. What can I getcha?" a waitress asked, when the pair had taken a seat near the door.

"A sandwich and a glass of water, please." Dirk replied, politely.

"Same for me!" Belladonna chirped, trying to put aside her unease, for the moment.

"It'll be ready in no time!" the waitress said, cheerily, as she rushed off to get their order.

"Well, well. Look what the wind blew in." another woman's voice purred. Startled, Dirk looked up, and saw that the only female member of the Markus Clan was standing there, smirking at them.

"Um...Hello...How's your shoulder? Is it doing all right?" Dirk asked. Leila's expression bordered on disbelief (that he would ask about her) and skepticism (whether she believed he was being honest in his concern for her or not).

"It's...fine." Leila responded, getting a sigh of relief from Dirk for that (much to her confusion).

"Good to hear." Dirk said, blushing slightly when he remembered what he'd had to do in order to bandage her wound. Leila almost snickered at the young Hunter's expense.

"_Despite his own mixed blood, he's almost endearing_..._Almost._" Leila mused, watching through the window as the sheriff and his posse rushed in the direction D had gone; their intent very obvious. This did not go unnoticed by the pair sitting there, as worry appeared in Dirk's eyes for his father.

"Be seein' ya, kids." Leila said, silkily, as she left them, and started following the posse to where a confrontation was about to begin.

"That bitch! She snitched on D!" Belladonna hissed, barely containing her wrath at this.

"Stay calm, 'Donna. We won't do ourselves or my dad any good if you get upset in here. Trust me on this one." Dirk whispered, also resisting the urge to go help his sire out of his predicament. They both knew, now, just how precarious their own situation now was. As calmly as they dared, they ate their meal as quickly as they could, put what water they didn't drink into their canteens, paid the bill, and raced to their horses. Burdock snorted when he sensed his master's unease, and started galloping before Dirk's heels could even touch his flanks.

"_It's amazing how much that horse seems to understand just what Dirk wants of him._" Belladonna thought, wonderingly, as they raced to the stable.

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D listened as the elderly owner of the horse he'd just purchased argued his case. He remembered only too well what had happened, all those years ago, when he'd risked his life to return the children to their families.

"_I had barely made it to the next town. The doctor there had had a difficult time putting me back together_..._the wounds from both the vampire and this town had been so severe._" D sourly thought, not allowing any emotion to emerge on his face, until he caught a glimpse of Dirk and Belladonna hovering outside near the entrance. He could almost feel their worry from where he stood.

"_You've got to hand to them, D. Those two truly care about you._" Left mentally muttered, having sensed the strength of the pair's feelings as well. D stifled the urge to sigh.

"_Yes. But where will it lead them, I wonder?_" D silently replied, watching as the old man revealed a huge gun from under his work bench, and pointed it at the sheriff.

"Get on your horse, stranger." the old man ordered, quietly, as he leveled the gun at the sheriff's chest.

"Thank you." D murmured, after he'd mounted.

"No, I should be thanking you for what you did for me." the old man stated, then continued, when the men before him gasped, "That's right! I was one of those kids! I always regretted the way that you'd been treated after that. How, instead of thanking you, we rewarded you with bigotry." Deep within D's steel-grey eyes, something stirred within him; almost a look of warmth, and Dirk could sense that the words had moved his father, even if it didn't show outwardly.

"So...it's true what they say...Dunpeals don't age..." the old man stated, off-handedly. D only nodded slightly in response. It was then the old man turned his gaze to the two youths that waited beyond the doorway, and smiled slightly.

"The lad bears an uncanny resemblance to you...and I'm sure he's as fine a Hunter as you are." the old man remarked, getting an odd glance from D.

"Not yet...But maybe someday he will be...If and only if he doesn't try anymore stupid stunts." D commented, dryly, as he spurred his new mount into motion and rode past the men; heading for the waiting pair.

"Let's go. The longer we linger here, the colder the trail gets." D stated, as he led the way down the path leading away from the town.

"We're right behind you, Dad." Dirk said, in a tone that told his sire that there would be no more foolishness on his part.

"Lead the way, and we'll follow." Belladonna murmured, shoving her own misgivings to the side as she did just that. The people of the town could only watch as the three riders disappeared down the trail.

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Charlotte looked longingly outside at the sunshine as she waited for Mashira and Caroline to finish watering and feeding the horses. Meier was resting within his coffin beside her chair, waiting for nightfall.

"Do you wish to go outside, Charlotte?" Meier's voice asked, from within the casket itself. Charlotte started a little at the sudden break in the silence, then shyly nodded; feeling like a little girl, all over again, in just that one moment.

"Then go right ahead, then. It might be the last time you have the chance to." Meier encouraged, then added, "I wish I could go out with you."

"I wish you could, too, my love." Charlotte sighed, noticing the sadness in Meier's voice, and wishing she could ease that intangible pain. With that thought in mind, Charlotte grabbed Meier's cloak, and wrapped it around herself.

"_At least I can take this small piece of him with me._" Charlotte thought, as she reached out for the door-latch, and opened the door.

"Master? What is it? Can I help you sir?" Mashira asked, when he'd noticed the door opening, and almost panicked when Charlotte started to emerge from within (still thinking that it was Meier coming outside, and almost having a heart-attack in response)

"It's still light outside, Master!" Mashira yelped, then gaped at the cloaked figure when it didn't burst into flames, "What?.!"

"Leave her alone, Mashira." Meier's voice said, from inside the carriage.

"Yes sir." Mashira replied, quietly; his relief very easily seen and heard.

"She misses the sunlight, let her enjoy it." Meier stated, tiredly, as he closed the door after Charlotte to prevent any of the sun's light from getting in.

"There's some old benches over in that direction, Miss Elbourne, if you want to sit down. It'll be a little while yet before we're ready to go." Caroline offered.

"Thank you." Charlotte replied, with a gentle smile, as she went to do just that.

"Sweet kid, that. I hope they make it to wherever they're going. I really do." Caroline murmured, as she watched the girl carefully make her way over to where the benches were situated.

"As do I...Well, at any rate, we have work to do." Mashira said, as he started putting the tack back onto the horses. Caroline nodded.

"Right. Let's get this done as soon as possible. Since Benge hasn't returned, we must assume that the Hunters aren't too far behind." Caroline agreed, as she got down off of her perch on the carriage, and started helping Mashira get the horses harnessed and reattached.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Dirk and Belladonna both paused when D motioned for them to stop.

"What's up?" Belladonna asked, whispering since they knew the carriage wasn't too far away.

"The girl is just over there." D stated, as he pointed out the young woman to them. Lo and behold, there she sat, gazing sadly at the sun-filled skies.

"You're right! There she is! But why would the vampire just let her out like this?" Dirk questioned, confusedly.

"He must trust her to return." D murmured, as he walked forward, and waited for the girl to notice that he was there. It didn't take long for that to happen; almost immediately she looked up, and then fearfully got to her feet and started backing away.

"I am D, a Hunter, and these are my apprentices, Dirk Lang and Belladonna Collins. Don't be afraid, we will not harm you." D quietly assured her, as Belladonna and Dirk showed themselves to her as well.

"Miss, you sit in the sun, so you haven't been changed yet!" Dirk said, voicing his earlier confusion.

"And yet, you called out for him that night, in the carriage. Why?" D asked.

"I suppose my family didn't tell you that I am in love with Meier." Charlotte responded, after a few uncertain moments.

"You don't know who he is. You can't be in love with him." D quietly said, almost sounding as though he were trying to talk her out of her heart's decision.

"It's true. If only you knew how good he's been to me...I love him...Please, believe me, since no one else will." Charlotte begged; the desperate note in her voice tugging at Dirk's own heartstrings.

"You don't understand. He is what he is, Charlotte, and he'll take you in time...and when that happens, I will have to kill you." D murmured.

"Fine! Kill me then! I would rather die than go anywhere without him! Don't take me back there, I mean it! I simply could not live without Meier!" Charlotte declared, strongly.

"_She means it!_" Dirk thought, his blood having almost frozen in his veins when he'd heard his father tell the girl that he'd kill her if she got turned into a vampire.

"How sweet that is!" a familiar voice sneered, "She loves a vampire! So very sweet! IDIOT!" Charlotte let out a yelp when a hand connected with her face; slapping her hard enough to knock her down.

"Stupid girl! Get up, we're going!" Leila demanded.

"Leave me alone!" Charlotte replied, stubbornly; her hazel eyes reflecting a willful and stubborn spirit. A spirit Dirk easily recognized.

"_The look in her eyes_..._it's almost exactly the same as the one Mother had had in her eyes when someone spoke ill of Dad!_" Dirk thought, as he watched the female Hunter twist the girl's arm behind her, and hold her there.

"You'll do as I say! Do you have any idea just how many people your beloved Meier has killed?.! This vampire you want to protect?.!" Leila snapped, as she forced the girl to her feet.

"N-none!" Charlotte gasped, wincing in pain from having her arm wrenched.

"Fool!" Leila growled, then pointed her gun at the trio that stood quietly before her, "And you three! Sorry, but I really don't want to split any of my profits. You understand, don't you? It's business."

"_Uh_..._Lady_..._Look up! LOOK UP!_" Dirk thought, as he started to reach for his sword; unknowingly mirroring his father's movements as he did so.

"Above you." D warned, grasping his sword at the exact same instant that Leila was grabbed by Caroline's hair and forced to let go of Charlotte, and as Mashira picked up and carried her off.

"It seems we have no choice, now...Dirk, go after the girl. I'll handle things here." D ordered, getting a nod from Dirk, before the younger Hunter raced to get back to where they'd left the horses.

"What do you want me to do, D?" Belladonna asked, as she unholstered her guns, and prepared for a fight.

"Make sure he gets there, but don't go with him. It'll be safer for you, in the long run, trust me." D muttered, as he started a running battle with Caroline.

"Right, right...whatever." Belladonna grumbled, taking off after Dirk a few moments after that. D chose to ignore the last comment, as he ran into the forest that stood on one side of the lake, chasing Caroline until she merged with one of the trees, and shot off away from him up the tree's trunk. Not even a second later, D felt a crushing weight descend onto him, and force him to his knees with a groan. Pain of a fiery intensity ripped through him then, making him, out of reflex, grasp his throat and grimace.

"T-too much sun...! I warned you about the heat, but you don't listen!" Left shouted, when he felt how hot D's skin had become.

"_Damn_..._of all the times it had to strike_..._It HAD to strike now!_" Left mentally cursed, as his host gasped desperately for air, and then rolled to avoid an attack from above.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Dirk ducked and wove his way around his attackers as he made his way to the horses. Thankfully enough, his mount, and those of his father and Belladonna were still alive.

"Burdock! To me!" Dirk shouted, getting the horse's attention immediately. With a leap, Dirk mounted, and turned about to deal with his attackers. They all consisted of more of the mutants from Barbarois that had followed Meier Link's carriage at a distance.

"Don't worry about these buggers, Dirk! Catch up with the carriage! Your dad and I will be along in a little while!" Belladonna cried, as she jumped fearlessly into the fray.

"You sure you can handle this, 'Donna?" Dirk asked, not willing to leave her in the unfair circumstances.

"Yeah! Go on!" Belladonna said, reassuring Dirk with a carefree grin.

"Okay...Just don't haunt me later, okay?" Dirk muttered, as he took off after the carriage.

"We'll see...Now, who wants to dance?" Belladonna asked, with a smirk, as she returned her full attention to the mutants standing before her. For a full minute, all was silence, and then one mutant stepped forward, squinted at her, and asked, "Say,...aren't you...?"

"Yes. I am." Belladonna replied, her grin widening as a look of panic etched itself onto the mutant's face.

"RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY! IT'S THE MUTANT KILLER OF COLLINSPORT! RUN AWAY!!!" the mutant screamed, as he turned tail and raced away from her as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Oh darn...One less target to hit...Oh well..." Belladonna muttered, before entering the fight with all the gusto she could bring (which is to say, quite a lot, actually).

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Leila coughed as she returned to her bike. She'd been knocked into the water by Caroline before D had attacked said mutant, and was only now getting her breath back as she jogged along. When she chanced a look up when she'd stopped beside her bike, she spotted D in a small cave; struggling to dig a large and deep enough hole for himself.

"Leila? Leila, do you read? Over." Borgoff's worried voice asked, over her comm-link.

"Yeah, I copy." Leila replied, getting a sigh of relief from the other end of the transmission.

"Thank God. Where are you?" Borgoff questioned.

"I'm at Lake Chiron and have just lost sight of the carriage there." Leila responded, pausing when she saw D collapse from his efforts.

"Okay. By the way, have you seen any signs of the dunpeal Hunter?" Borgoff again asked.

"No, I haven't seen him." Leila lied.

"All right. Let me know when you do. Borgoff out." Borgoff said, before his end went quiet. With silent steps, Leila approached the downed Vampire Hunter; caution giving way to almost concern when he didn't react to her presence.

"_Strange_..." Leila thought, as she carefully kneeled beside him, reached out, and turned him onto his back. She almost recoiled when the sticky warmth of blood coated her hands, and when he flinched at the direct contact with his wound.

"Damn, dunpeal...What'd you do to yourself?" Leila muttered, as she carefully removed some pieces of his armor, and got a good look at the wound.

"_This looks to have been taken care of before_..._but it's broken open again_..._What's he doing on a hunt when he isn't even completely recovered from a previous one?_" Leila mused, as she left his side to go and grab her own first aid kit. When she'd finished bandaging the wound, and had buried him up to his neck in the soil, she could only gaze at him in wonder, and shake her head.

"It looks like the tables have turned..." Leila thought aloud, as lightning flashed in the sky; heralding the storm to come...In more ways than just one.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Finally! I think I am finally getting past my writer's block! I hope this was a good chapter, and that it was worth the wait!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	9. Chapter Eight: Heartaches

Chapter Eight: Heartaches

D uttered a groan as consciousness slowly returned to him. He felt sick and weak, and his side throbbed dully in response to the weight of the earth piled on top of him.

"_Wait a moment_..._I passed out before I could finish_...Who...?" D wondered, vaguely, as he opened his eyes and looked around. About three feet away, someone sat close to the opening of the cave; gazing out at the steadily falling rain.

"_Belladonna?_" D silently asked, jerking slightly when the sound of a gun being cocked, and pointed at him, came to his ears.

"_Definitely not her_..._The Markus woman, then._" D amended, as his vision cleared, and revealed Leila.

"I'm just trying to stay dry, here. When the rain stops, I'll be gone...from here and from you." Leila muttered, coldly. It took a few moments for D to collect enough of his strangely fragmented mind and say something to her, but, when he did, it was to point out something he'd noticed before, yet hadn't had the chance to say anything about earlier.

"I think...I can guess...your problem...Your family was the victim...of vampires." D managed, softly, against his protesting throat. Leila's expression darkened.

"You don't know anything about it." Leila snapped, angrily; not even looking in his direction as she said that.

"All right...Perhaps I don't." D murmured, wincing when the effort of speaking continued to hurt his throat. Leila sighed, then reached up and pulled her comm-link away from her ear, rubbing the tender skin afterwards in order to restore blood flow.

"You're a weird one, you know that? Despite being a dunpeal Hunter and all that that entails...How did you and the kid know about my mother?" Leila asked, as she started to relax a little bit.

"You called out for her before...Didn't you?" D responded, quietly. Leila nodded.

"When I was little, a vampire came and kidnapped my mother. My father and a few others went after it in order to rescue her, but the vampire killed them. After a while, my mother returned...but she wasn't my mother anymore. She'd been changed. The villagers stoned her to death while I watched...Afterwards I left my home town and joined up with the Markus Brothers. I wanted to be a Hunter, to avenge my parents' deaths. Since then I have seen many terrible things; lives destroyed, families devastated, hopes crushed...and every time it seems, a vampire was to blame." Leila explained, sadly.

"I can see why you chose do it...But the life of a Hunter is no kind of life." D stated, turning his head slightly to look at her with his somber grey eyes.

"It's the only life I'm any good for, now. And it seems that it's the only life you have ever known...So, I suggest we make a pact. Since we're both in it for the long haul, whoever dies first, the other can bring flowers to their grave. How's that?" Leila asked, then added, with a sad smile, "It's the rain...makes me sentimental...I don't even know why I care so much, it's just that I love flowers...and I don't think I'll be getting any. I'm all alone, after all...We did have that much in common, you and I. We were both Hunters and were both alone...At least until you found that kid, anyway...Oh well, I'm being silly. It doesn't really matter."

"I'll do it...I'll bring you flowers if I survive this...but I don't expect to." D replied, as Leila's smile faded, and she gave him an almost chagrined look.

"Oh stop! I didn't really mean it when I said all that! And anyway, I don't really understand why you keep doing this." Leila muttered, in exasperation. Pain flitted across D's handsome features, and it wasn't in response to his physical wound.

"It's because I'm a dunpeal. I don't get to have a life...not like you." D whispered, with sad envy in his voice as he started to close his eyes again.

"Then what about your son?" Leila asked, "Wouldn't you call being a father 'having a life'?"

"In some ways, yes. Dirk is the one bright point in my life, after so many years of darkness...I fear for him, especially, since he could be taken away at any time." D answered, as genuine worry emerged in his eyes, before exhaustion and pain forced him to relinquish his hold on consciousness once again.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Dirk inwardly swore as he did what he could to follow the carriage in the midst of the pouring rain.

"_If there's anything worse than this, I need to avoid it! It just __had__ to rain after I got split up from Dad and Belladonna!_" Dirk mused, angrily, knowing that he was in a tight spot, right at that moment. He knew the carriage was somewhere close by...but he just didn't know where at this point.

"All you need now is for one of them to find us before you find them." Marv muttered.

"Don't give 'em any ideas, Marv." Dirk grumbled, irritably.

"Too late." another voice murmured, as the owner of it emerged from the murky darkness.

"Oh...crap..." Dirk mumbled, when he found himself face-to-face with Meier Link.

"I need to have a word with you, young Hunter." Meier said, coolly; managing to keep from smirking when Dirk gave him an incredulous look.

"Why? What's there to talk about?" Dirk asked, warily. Meier only sighed.

"All will be explained after we are both under cover. Is that agreeable to you?" Meier questioned.

"I guess so...Just don't try to hypnotize me and have me kill my father, okay?" Dirk muttered, getting a deadpan expression from Meier in response.

"I am not Magnus Lee, so have no fear of that." Meier replied, as he led the way to the carriage, where Charlotte waited with what appeared to be some towels in hand.

"Thanks." Dirk murmured, after he and the vampire were well within the confines of the vehicle and had received some of the towels from the young woman. Charlotte gave him a gentle smile.

"You're very welcome." Charlotte said, as Meier pulled out an extra chair and motioned for him to have a seat. Dirk did so, but kept his sword within hand's reach at all times.

"You don't need to be so wary, Hunter. Meier won't hurt you." Charlotte said, gently, when she'd noticed how uneasy Dirk seemed to be.

"I may only be a Vampire Hunter in training, Miss Elbourne, but I was a Werewolf Hunter first...and both trades require vigilance, first and foremost." Dirk murmured, then added, "I'd rather be safe than sorry."

"You are your father's son, all right. D said something very similar, a long time ago." Meier stated, thoughtfully, getting a surprised look from Dirk for that.

"How would you know that he had, sir?" Dirk asked, uncertain whether or not he was actually allowed to address Meier by name. Meier smiled, at this point.

"My castle was the one of the few places your father would come to rest for a while after difficult hunts. In fact, he even came after the hunt in Ransylva...The poor sod looked like he'd been to hell and back." Meier murmured, as he remembered the rough condition the infamous Vampire Hunter had been in when he'd arrived at the gates that long-ago evening.

"My mother and uncle had told me how difficult that battle had been on him. I just didn't realize that anybody else knew." Dirk said, thoughtfully.

"I do indeed...And I also know that it is very rare for him to take such a personal interest in an employer." Meier agreed.

"It is?" Dirk asked, now curious as to what this vampire knew; even though a small part of him was trying to remind him that he was supposed to be hunting this person! Meier smiled vaguely, and nodded.

"Your father isn't the kind of man who allows people to get too close to him, for the main reason that he knows that he'll outlive them...and the bloodlust would make a long-term relationship impossible." Meier murmured, as an ancient sadness emerged in his garnet eyes.

"Ever since my path had crossed with Dad's, I had the feeling that such a thing might have been the case...Otherwise, he would never have left Mother's side." Dirk mused, aloud; somehow finding it very easy to trust the much-maligned vampire before him.

"_Marv, can you sense anything bad about this guy? Is there anything malevolent towards humans within him?_" Dirk telepathically asked.

"_No. Can you?_" Marv replied. Dirk mentally shook his head.

"_Nope. It's weird_..._Really weird_..._I don't smell any blood on him at all._" Dirk mused, wondering if his hunch about something malign setting Meier up to take the fall for what had happened to the village earlier was true.

"_And, if it is, where is this road taking us?_" Dirk wondered, as an uneasy feeling settled itself firmly in his gut; silently foreboding the horrors to come.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Belladonna was well and truly soaked, by the time she found where D and Leila were sheltering.

"Double-damned rain! Shit!" Belladonna cursed, as she ducked into the cave, and made a move to sit down; stopping when Leila warned her against it.

"Wouldn't sit there, if I were you. The dunpeal's right there." Leila murmured, as Belladonna looked down, stifled a yelp, and sidled quickly away from where D now lay; her face turning an interesting shade of crimson while she did so.

"You could've warned me sooner, ya know!" Belladonna grumbled, as Leila snickered at her expense.

"You were too busy cussing like a sailor to have noticed, even if I had." Leila replied, her comment belying the vague look of concern that was in her blue eyes. Belladonna noticed this, and gave her a curious look.

"What's wrong?" Belladonna asked, despite her indignance at the pseudo-insult the other Huntress had thrown at her.

"He's still got a high fever...Even Heat Syndrome doesn't usually last this long." Leila said, as she motioned to D, and as Belladonna put a hand to his forehead, and quickly recoiled when she felt the heat emanating from his pale skin.

"Damn, you're right! He's burning up! I thought his temperature had seemed too high earlier...But I wasn't sure if it was my imagination or not. Dirk and I had been afraid that he would overexert himself." Belladonna admitted, as she took what appeared to be a bandanna from her pack, held it out in the rain for a few moments, rung out the excess water, and then placed it on D's brow.

"A wound on his side had reopened earlier, and he'd lost quite a bit of blood before I got to him. He might be sick as a result of that, and having been in the sun too long." Leila suggested, watching as Belladonna removed the dirt that covered D's injured side, and inspected the bandaging job that Leila had done.

"You did a good job tying it off. It looks like it's stopped bleeding...but I can't be sure. It'll be too dangerous to move him until his fever cools." Belladonna stated, as she replaced the soil, and then sat back down; this time beside Leila.

"True." Leila agreed, as a somewhat comfortable silence fell over them. It remained that way for almost an hour, and it was broken when Belladonna snickered and shook her head.

"What's so funny?" Leila asked; curious despite herself.

"You sure did a number on that Barbaroi woman...Eww." Belladonna muttered, faking a shudder while she was at it. "Extra crispy."

"That was an accident...At least, the lightning part was, at any rate." Leila replied, actually smirking a little bit and laughing softly at the disgusted face Belladonna had made when she'd said that.

"So you say...If I had even attempted that, the lightning would've struck me instead!" Belladonna muttered, getting a soft laugh from Leila in response to that. As the hours wore on, Belladonna slowly breathed a sigh of relief when she found that D's temperature was beginning to return to normal.

"_Hopefully we'll be able to catch up with Dirk soon_..._I've got a bad feeling about all this._" Belladonna silently mused; keeping her misgivings to herself for now, but intending to tell D of them later.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Charlotte could only smile softly as the young quarter-vampire dozed. He had arranged a simple sleeping pallet on the floor of the carriage, and was using a seat cushion as a pillow, and his cloak as a blanket.

"_He was more tired than he cared to admit_..." Charlotte mused, as she brushed delicate fingertips against his youthful face.

"So much for vigilance, eh? The kid's out like a light." Mashira muttered, as he entered the carriage as well; his disgust for the inclement weather very easily seen.

"I guess it is safe to say that he trusts us, somewhat." Meier murmured, as he also gave Dirk a rueful glance, from over the book he was skimming through; his mind still too burdened to really concentrate on it.

"_I wonder what will be waiting for us when we get there? For some reason, I feel some foreboding_..._Should I have even tried this?_" Meier wondered, as he gazed at the strangely tranquil scene before him; trying to hide the uneasiness that had returned to him with a vengeance.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

The morning had dawned, cool and clear, when D roused up, and slowly got his bearings. Across from him, Belladonna and Leila slept; so he took extra care not to disturb them as he got up. He grimaced when a brief stab of pain lanced through his wounded side, but endured it as he went about the business of getting ready to move on. By the time he had finished the task, the two Huntresses were beginning to stir.

"You sure you're even supposed to be up, Dunpeal? You'd lost quite a bit of blood yesterday." Leila said, as she and Belladonna left the shelter, and walked over to him.

"I can't afford any vacations...paid or otherwise." D murmured, wryly, as he tightened a strap on one of his saddlebags, and prepared to mount.

"Still, don't you think you should eat something? Help replenish the blood lost?" Belladonna asked.

"I'm not exactly human, Miss Collins, so I can go a bit longer without eating." D stated, then added, "I'm a little more concerned about Dirk, at this moment. We need to catch up with him as soon as possible."

"Do what you want, dunpeal. It's your life. But with that rainstorm we had last night, they can't be too far ahead." Leila said, getting nods of agreement from the pair as D mounted his horse, and waited for Belladonna to do the same.

"True enough." D agreed.

"We're even now, dunpeal. Tell your son that, next time you see him." Leila stated, watching as the pair started to ride off.

"I will." D promised, before putting the spurs to his horse, and galloping away.

"Take care." Belladonna said, before she hurried after the disappearing sire of Dirk Lang. Leila nodded, then put the key in the ignition of her bike and started the engine; she had a long ride ahead of her as well, and her adoptive brothers, she knew, were probably a bit anxious about her by now.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"The long and winding roooad..."

"Marv, shut up."Dirk grumbled, irritably; swatting at the sword from where he lay (he'd put it within arm's reach the night before for his own peace of mind).

"Thaat leads, to your door..." Marv continued to sing, in his usual off-key voice; getting grumbled profanities from Dirk.

"And thus, all four Beatles are rolling over in their graves..." Meier muttered, from within his coffin, as Charlotte giggled and shook her head.

"I'd be inclined to agree with ya, sir, if I knew what you were talking about." Dirk mumbled, as he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"That was some of the worst singing I have ever had the misfortune to hear...It sounded like Benge getting strangled by Charlotte, while getting dismembered by the Terror of Collinsport at the same time." Mashira added, from his seat on top of the carriage.

"I'm crushed!" Marv said, with false hurt in his voice.

"I wish you had been." Dirk retorted, then asked, "What time is it?"

"Five o'clock P.M. Frontier Standard Time. You slept the whole day away, kid." Mashira stated.

"Sheesh...Didn't realize I was that tired! Why didn't somebody wake me?" Dirk asked, confusedly, as he got up and started getting his gear together.

"It would have been wrong to wake you up, when you obviously needed the rest." Charlotte said, gently; getting a thoughtful look from Dirk in answer to that.

"You're as kind as your father had said you are...The fact that you are sharing that kindness with somebody like him amazes me even more." Dirk said, as he nodded to Meier's casket for added emphasis.

"Do you think I'm a fool for falling in love with Meier too?" Charlotte asked, with an almost crestfallen look in her hazel eyes. To her surprise, Dirk shook his head.

"My mother always used to tell me that you really have no say in who your heart chooses. She chose my father, the infamous Hunter D, and remained in love with him for the rest of her life. You chose Meier Link, and intend to stay by his side for as long as you can, right?" Dirk said, as the girl across from him gave him an almost disbelieving stare.

"Yes! But...I didn't think a Vampire Hunter would see it that way..." Charlotte murmured, getting an abashed smile from Dirk for that.

"Well, I'm still in training, as I'd said. Who knows? Maybe I'm just not meant to hunt vampires, and should stick to hunting werewolves instead." Dirk admitted, then added, "And I can't deny what my eyes have seen so far." Before Charlotte could think to ask why Dirk thought that about her and Meier, the carriage came to a screeching halt.

"_What the heck's goin' on now?.!_" Dirk wondered, as he unsheathed two of his knives, and stood in front of Charlotte to protect her. From his position, Dirk could hear what was going on outside, and his heart almost froze when he heard the voices of two of the Markus Clan's members.

"_Damn. Not good._" Dirk thought, as he watched the door get yanked open, and as one of the men entered.

"Well, well, what have we here? Two birds with one stone!" Kyle, as that particular Hunter happened to be, sneered, as he eyed both Dirk and Charlotte.

"Stay behind me, Miss Elbourne." Dirk whispered, as he tensed and readied himself for some close-in fighting.

"So, you have sided with the enemy, eh, kid?" Kyle asked, his eyes hard and angry as the youth guarded both girl and vampire carefully.

"What if I have? What's it to you?" Dirk questioned, in turn.

"It means less competition for us. Right, Borgoff?" Kyle said, as the grizzled leader of the clan growled his agreement.

"Right." Borgoff muttered, as he kept his gaze on Mashira. A split second later, Dirk heard a pained howl, and a distant splash; signaling that the Barbaroi had just gotten taken out. And, only a heartbeat later, Dirk let out a yelp himself, as Kyle's weapon neatly sliced his left shoulder open; spraying a fine amount of blood onto Charlotte's shocked face.

"Now, MOVE ASIDE, mixed breed!" Kyle snarled, as he shoved Dirk to one side, and grabbed Charlotte's wrist.

"She's still human! Come on! NOW!" Kyle ordered, as he forced the girl to get out of the carriage and walk over to where Borgoff stood waiting. Dirk's vision swam as he tried to stanch the bleeding in his shoulder wound; blearily looking up when the coffin opened, and Meier got out and gave him a look of concern.

"D-don't worry about me. They've got Miss Elbourne!" Dirk gasped, when the vampire had given him something to help stem the bleeding a bit.

"Don't worry. I will get her back." Meier growled, as he eyed the open door, and the evening sunshine beyond it, with determination and even anger in his deep red eyes.

"Don't do it...You won't last long out there, even if you are powerful!" Dirk said, seeing now that the love between this vampire and the human girl he'd been talking to only moments before was shared...and very real.

"I've got to. Charlotte is the only light I've got...I can't lose her." Meier replied, then added, "Someday, you will understand what I mean."

"_I think I already do._" Dirk mused, as he watched, helplessly, as Meier bravely stepped out into the sun...and when flames started erupting from him.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Okay, I think this chapter turned out 'all right'. I can only hope that it didn't seem like a whole lot of rambling! As always, read and review, please!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	10. Chapter Nine: Shadows

Chapter Nine: Shadows

Pain. All he could feel was white-hot agony, searing through him. He was standing in direct sunlight; a certain death-sentence for any vampire...and could just barely see the two Vampire Hunters standing there before him; holding Charlotte captive and making her watch his torment. The Hunters had forced the carriage to stop, intruded into the carriage itself, and grabbed Charlotte. Now they stood on the bridge that spanned the distance between a life of eternal loneliness, and freedom. And Meier knew he preferred the latter.

"I...will not...let you have her!" Meier gasped, from between gritted teeth, as he struggled forward; each step bringing its' own brand of intense pain. It was only added to when silver arrows imbedded themselves in his flesh, and he uttered a groan when some found their way into his legs, as well.

"_Can't walk_..._Can't move_..._Is this the end for me?_" Meier wondered, the pain of all his injuries almost forcing sobs from between his lips. With a grimace, he fell to his knees; his injured legs unable to hold him up anymore. He started when someone wrapped two arms around his neck, and knew that Charlotte had somehow broken free of the two Markus brothers and rushed to his side.

"I love you." Charlotte whispered, those words alone almost seeming like a soothing balm for the intense pain she knew Meier was feeling.

"I..." Meier struggled to say, through a throat that was burning as well.

"Shh. Don't speak. I know...and I can't go on without you." Charlotte whispered, tearfully, as she pulled one of the arrows from Meier's shoulder (getting a pained grunt from Meier as a result) and pointed it at her own throat; her eyes telling him that she was ready to die along with him.

"Borgoff, we should let 'er kill herself. We'll get the money, either way." Kyle reminded, as an almost sinister gleam appeared in Borgoff's eyes at that.

"Hey, you're right! Okay!" Borgoff agreed, before two things happened; Mashira roared into view, killing Kyle in one swipe, and the bright flash of a sword knocked all of Borgoff's arrows out of the air.

"_D_..." Meier wondered, before his vision cleared enough to see that it wasn't the Vampire Hunter that had done the deed, but the Hunter's son!

"_The boy is going to be quite strong, when he's fully grown. Of that I have no doubt._" Meier mused, then asked, "Why are you doing this? I thought you yourself were in this to take Charlotte back as well."

"It's like I told Miss Elbourne before; I can't deny what my eyes have seen. Just because my parents may have been sad and lonely for the rest of their lives, doesn't mean you two should be. Call it the last of my naivete, but I'd rather see at least somebody get a happy ending from this, than death...Especially when it comes to someone who has called himself my father's friend." Dirk declared, boldly, as he got on one side of Meier, and helped him limp back to the carriage.

"_And yet, this boy's heart is too kind to be that of a Hunter. I can only wonder which parent he'd gotten it from_..." Meier thought, listening vaguely as Mashira fought Borgoff Markus off, and giving the horses the mental command to get moving.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"D, do you have any idea where the carriage is going?" Belladonna asked, a little while after they had picked up the trail of the carriage and started on their own hot pursuit.

"Yes...And I don't like it." D muttered, with only the barest hint of unease in his voice. Belladonna heard it clearly and knew of only one place that could evoke such a reaction in the normally stoic Vampire Hunter.

"It isn't...that castle, is it?" Belladonna again asked, her face paling when D somberly nodded.

"The Castle of Chaythe." D murmured; his eyes narrowing as he thought of the potential danger they would all face, once within its' walls.

"Yeah, we're getting close. Should almost be able to see it...the home of Carmilla, the Bloody Countess. For five thousand years her reign of terror lasted, and then that was that! The vampire king, Dracula, grew angry; he had become impatient with her vanity, and offended by her bloodlust and gluttony. He grew so tired of it, that he killed her while she slept; impaling her on a sword." Left said, as Belladonna shuddered at the thought.

"Then why's the place so dangerous, Lefty? There must be a reason that it has remained so for so long." Belladonna almost whispered; the history of the vampire castle chilling her soul to its' core.

"Her spirit haunts the place, along with phantoms and demons. It is, in no uncertain terms, cursed." Left replied.

"And we've sent Dirk right into the center of it..." Belladonna said, as dread and some fear entered her heart for the first time during the journey...and it was destined not to be the last.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"Ouch...This is gonna leave a mark later." Dirk muttered, wincing as Charlotte dabbed at his shoulder with an alcohol-soaked cloth.

"I, also, have seen better days." Meier stated, agreeing wholeheartedly with Dirk, at that particular moment. The carriage was now well on its' way again, and the three people within it were resting up and taking care of the wounds from their most recent encounter with the Markus Clan.

"Thank you for helping us, Mr. Lang. It's most appreciated." Charlotte said, getting a look of almost chagrin from Dirk for that.

"Please, Miss Elbourne, call me Dirk. I'd rather be called that than by just my last name, any day!" Dirk said, getting amused laughter from both vampire and human.

"Then you have my permission to call me Charlotte! 'Miss Elbourne' sounds so stuffy!" Charlotte chirped; her airy voice a welcome sound to both of the men.

"And you may address me by my first name as well, Dirk." Meier added.

"Thanks." Dirk replied, glad that he could be a little more informal in the way he spoke to the pair. As comfortable silence settled on the trio, Dirk found himself wondering where they were headed.

"Mind if I ask you two something?" Dirk asked, after another long moment.

"Go ahead." Meier encouraged.

"Where are you two eloping to, anyway?" Dirk again asked. This got a sigh from Meier, and a wistful smile from Charlotte.

"The Castle of Chaythe is where we are going now. From there, we'll head to the City of the Night." Meier responded; sensing when some fear made itself known from the young quarter-vampire.

"And that place is the only way you know of to get from Point A to Point B?" Dirk asked, nervously.

"Unfortunately, yes. It is the only castle I am aware of that still has a workable starship..." Meier explained.

"Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds..." Marv chimed in, getting a collective cringe out of the three that spoiled the moment beyond repair.

"Where's that spool of masking tape when I need it?" Dirk growled, giving the possessed sword a scathing glare as he put his shirt back on, and replaced his pendant back around his neck.

"_I can only hope I'll be strong enough to handle whatever that castle throws at me._" Dirk thought, grimly, as he put his cloak back on as well.

"_I've got the sinking feeling that I'm gonna be in some pretty deep shit soon_..._Please hurry, Dad._"

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Deep-seated anxiety had rooted itself firmly within D, as he and Belladonna finally got the castle within sight. Left, and even Belladonna, could sense it; D was beginning to show true parental worry for his son. Not only was the quarter-vampire now, potentially, within the haunted castle itself, the pair had also learned that it had been Carmilla, and not Meier Link, that had hired the Barbarois assassins; thanks to what Mashira had told him before the wounds D had given him in their brief altercation had done him in.

"The closer we get to that place, the less I like it." Belladonna muttered, and D could only agree.

"_I got Dirk into this_..._And I hope I can get him out. Doris would never forgive me if something happened to our son_..._I know that much._" D thought, as he determinedly pressed on.

"_Don't you dare die on us in there, Dirk._" Belladonna unknowingly added, feeling for her guns to reassure herself as they closed the distance between them and the shadow-cloaked building.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Dirk looked around in wonder as he followed Meier and Charlotte out of the carriage and into the castle courtyard. All around him, he could clearly see the statuary of what appeared to be an ancient eighteenth century castle.

"_Nice place_..._if you want to get the classic 'Bram Stoker' feel._" Dirk thought, darkly.

"_I see you have finally made it! Welcome!_" a ghostly voice greeted, nearly making Dirk jump out of his skin.

"Greetings, Countess. Sorry to have kept you waiting." Meier said, gracefully, as the ghostly vampire countess approached, and smiled warmly at them.

"_Think nothing of it! I gather from your letter that you have had a rather difficult time, and I think I can understand what it is like. Love isn't exactly unique to humans, you know. We vampires are also very susceptible._" the countess amended.

"I'll bet." Dirk murmured; remembering only too clearly the love his mother had had for his father, and the moment of grief his father had shown, betraying his own feelings before his very perceptive son. D had loved Doris just as much, if not even more. For a moment, the countess shifted her gaze and blinked at the black-clad youth that stood alongside the couple.

"_Who might you be? You're not young enough to be their son!_" the countess stated, flinching when Meier tried to prevent himself from falling over in surprise. Dirk's expression deadpanned.

"I'm the chaperone." Dirk muttered; cringing when Meier finally fell face-first in the dirt. Charlotte, in the meantime, only blushed deeply. The countess chuckled, as Meier picked himself up and tried to salvage what was left of his dignity.

"_Of course, __now__ I see. What is your name and title, young one?_" the countess asked, curiously.

"Dirk Lang, Werewolf Hunter." Dirk replied, purposefully leaving off the fact that he was an apprentice Vampire Hunter as well.

"_I have heard much about you, young Hunter. Your reputation precedes you._" the countess said, seeming to be quite surprised when Dirk politely bowed his head.

"I'm surprised any word about me has reached this area, milady, seeing that I have come from such a small town as Ransylva." Dirk replied, humbly.

"_Indeed. In any case, I can only hope I can be of service to you two._" the countess said, once again turning her attention to the eloping lovers. Meier in turn gave her a weary smile.

"We're very grateful, Carmilla." Meier said, not noticing when Dirk's stance went rigid.

"_Carmilla?.! The Bloody Countess?.!.? Freakin' hell! How'd I forget such an important fact like that?.!_" Dirk wondered, as he followed the pair and their ghostly guide into the castle, listening carefully as the conversation continued.

"_You three must be exhausted. Perhaps you should rest first. I'm sure the young lady would like to freshen up._" Carmilla stated, then added, "_I'm quite certain you have all heard the rumors about me, but, I can assure you, they are just that. Rumors that were started out of envy and jealousy. I'm not the 'Bloody Carmilla' they like to portray me as._"

"_I'll bet_..." Dirk mentally muttered, before Marv disrupted the conversation once again.

"I am the Eggman! They are the Eggmen! I am the Walrus! Googoogajoo...!" Marv sang, before Dirk's hands found themselves over his metal mouth.

"Quite the obnoxious one, that sword." Meier stated, dryly, as he gave the weapon what could only be his version of a deadpan look.

"You're tellin' me...One more word outta you, Marv, and I'm sendin' you to the Capital so they can dissect you and see how you work!" Dirk threatened. Marv immediately went silent.

"_I have heard legends about singing swords_..._and this, most certainly, __isn't__ one of those._" Carmilla added.

"Got that right..." Dirk mumbled, with a blush of his own. Within moments, they had reached what appeared to be a huge window. And, just beyond that, stood an equally large, tubelike object.

"Whoa..." Dirk whispered, "Is that a ship?"

"_It is indeed. It will take Lord Meier and his young lady to the city of the night where they can both live peacefully at long last._ _A place where they will both be happy. There was a time, long ago, when every castle had a ship like this, and the night sky was full of their flashing lights. Those were the days when vampires flourished, and a love like yours wasn't so desperately impossible. So very different from today_..._Now, our numbers are dwindling, and we are hunted and doomed to be alone. Hopelessly misunderstood_..._And yet, you two have beaten the odds. I am very, very happy for you both._" Carmilla said, gently, then wistfully added, "_This ship hasn't been used in years, though. I honestly don't know if it will even fly safely_..._But I am sure that it is a risk you are willing to take._"

"We're truly very grateful, Countess Carmilla." Meier stated, gravely. This got what could only be called a sad smile from the ghostly countess.

"_I only wish I could go with you._" Carmilla sighed.

"Well, milady, not to sound rude or anything...but the old saying is, 'Two's company, three's a crowd'." Dirk said, as he tried to inch away from the group discreetly. Carmilla then gave him an almost mischievous smile.

"_Then four means a double date!_" Carmilla crooned; laughing softly when Dirk again blushed; his face turning even redder than it had before.

"Eheh...Don't think so, sorry! Let me...go find a nice spot to dig a hole for myself, okay?" Dirk muttered, turning and racing away from the group as he did that; getting soft laughter for his parting comment that was a much-needed relief from the stress Meier and Charlotte had been feeling up until this point.

"_This proves, after all, that young Dirk still has some growing up to do. But with a father like D, he'll turn into a fine man_..._An honorable man_..._The likes of which is so rare, in this day and age._" Meier mused, watching with almost a hint of pride as the youth disappeared from sight into one of the hallways; intent on either finding a place to recover his own dignity, or explore the castle in detail before Meier and Charlotte left the earth behind forever. It was an unfortunate fact that none of them had any idea of the sort of horrors coming their way...Horrors that could very well spell their doom within the shadowed halls of Castle Chaythe.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Okay, not a whole lot of excitement in this chapter, but pretty much trying to build up to it. Wish me luck in the coming chapter, though!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	11. Chapter Ten: Illusions

Chapter Ten: Illusions

Night had long since fallen, and an eerie silence cloaked the dark halls. Uneasily, Meier patrolled the empty rooms; having left Charlotte under Dirk's protection with the promise to return soon.

"_Dirk had seemed as on edge as I am right now_..._I wonder_..." Meier mused, as he rounded a corner, and came upon a hall that was comprised mainly of marble columns. At first, there was nothing to interest him, then he saw something move...and saw an all-too-familiar figure emerge into the moonlight.

"D." Meier growled, as he changed his hand into a metal-clawed gauntlet. The Hunter before him was unfazed by this development, and even looked him coolly in the eye.

"Listen, Meier. The woman says she wants to go back home." D murmured, as he moved his cloak aside to reveal a weeping Charlotte clinging to him for dear life. Meier stared at them in disbelief; had all Charlotte had said to him earlier been a lie? Had she truly changed her mind?.! Before the stunned vampire could think any more on the subject, D's sword sliced right through him; splitting him right down the middle.

"I don't...believe it..." Meier muttered, as his eyes glazed, and blood oozed thickly from his bisected body. He didn't even get the chance to see D and Charlotte's forms dissolve into thousands of pitch-black bats and flutter away from the gory scene.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"Something's not right here..." Left's voice murmured, nervously.

"Tell us something we don't know, Leftie." Belladonna grumbled, irritably, as she and D made their way ever deeper inside. They had just gotten within the walls of the haunted castle, and, already, they could sense that something fell was going on.

"Dirk isn't too far away. Stick close, Miss Collins." D said, as he started leading the way towards the spot where Dirk's presence was the strongest.

"Gotcha." Belladonna agreed. She did not want to get lost in this cursed place! But the castle, and its' ghostly inhabitants, had other, more sinister plans in store for them.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"_Okay_..._This __isn't__ good. I've just lost track of Charlotte, and gotten myself turned around in this place! Where the heck am I?.!_" Dirk wondered, as he wandered around, trying to find his way back to the room where Charlotte waited for Meier to return.

"Man, where's a tour guide when you need one? Sheesh! How'd that countess keep everything in order in such a huge place, anyway? I know she was a vampire, but still! This is a little over the top!" the confused quarter-vampire muttered, as he turned into yet another hallway, and found himself awash in red light.

"W-what the...?.!" Dirk yelped, covering his eyes for a moment to protect them from the sudden brightness.

"Dirk?" a woman's voice asked, from just in front of him. Dirk froze.

"_No way_..._There's just no way!_" Dirk thought, as he lowered his arm, and stared in shock and the person who now stood just in front of him.

"M-mother...?"

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Elsewhere in the castle, D was also coming upon a similar scene. He was now walking alone through what appeared to be blood (he'd lost track of Belladonna, thanks to the illusion coming down upon them; cutting them off from one another), and waist deep in it, sat a woman. Her back was toward him, so he couldn't see her face; but he knew who it was...or who Carmilla wanted him to think it was, at any rate.

"I know you hate me, D, but please try to understand. I truly loved your father...therefore, what choice did I have?" the woman asked, gently.

"_None. My own mother had had no choice_..._and yet, Doris did. She chose a life of loneliness; raising our son on her own, with Dan and his family's help on the side._" D mused, as he silently remembered what the tough, dark-haired beauty had told him, all those years ago.

"_Even if you never return, D, I will always love you! Remember that!_" Doris had declared, boldly, before he'd ridden away from the Lang Farm forever.

"_I always used to wonder why Mother had called me her 'treasure' when I was younger. Now I know._" Dirk had quietly said, that day, when it had been revealed to D that he was D's son.

"_I have something more than a memory to live for, now. So I don't need __this_" D silently resolved, as he unsheathed his sword, and swept it through the shadow with deadly grace. Seconds later, the illusion faded into nothing.

"_Now to find Dirk and Belladonna_..._and hopefully the young lady as well._" D mused, as he rushed from the room he'd wandered into, and towards the closest sounds; hoping he wouldn't be too late.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"I don't understand. Mother, what're you doin' here?" Dirk asked, as the woman in front of him smiled gently.

"I thought you might like to join me." Doris replied, airily; her smile and the look in her stormy blue eyes sending the warning bells sounding off in Dirk's mind. The quarter-vampire took a step back.

"In what way?" Dirk asked, warily. Doris smiled again; but this time her eyes were much colder.

"In death." Doris said, her voice deepening slightly, and her eyes taking on a reddish hue, as she advanced on the younger Hunter. With an inhuman leap, the false Doris attacked Dirk; swiping at him with claws that were only just becoming visible to the Werewolf Hunter.

"_This thing isn't a werewolf_..._and it's way too fast to be a normal mutant. Is it a hybrid?_" Dirk wondered, as he unsheathed his sword.

"Marv! Any idea where Charlotte is? Can you sense her anywhere?" Dirk asked, as he dodged the creature's blows, shook himself free of the rest of the illusion, and started running.

"Yes! Directly below us!" Marv replied.

"Then show me the way, then! If I'm getting attacked by illusions, then they are too!" Dirk shouted, as he flew down the hallway as fast as his legs could carry him.

"_Please! Don't let me be too late!_"

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Belladonna could only stare in horror at what was before her. She'd been following closely at D's side when they had first entered the castle proper, but now found herself separated from him, and in her hometown's cemetery. Her father, and the rest of her family, were gathered around what appeared to be a tombstone; weeping pitifully and mourning the loss of the one who was now buried beneath it.

"You foolish girl! Why did you go with that damned dunpeal and his son? Why?" her father asked, sorrowfully.

"But I'm right here! Father! Everybody! I'm alive! Can't you see me?" Belladonna shouted. But she continued to go unheard.

"What's worse is the fact that she'd even ended up getting turned into a vampire! And those Hunters had had to kill her! Oh, our poor, poor Belladonna! What a cruel fate to befall you!" one of her aunts moaned, as windswept rain whipped around them.

"I'm here! I'm here! Don't leave me!" Belladonna cried, as she started to run after the disappearing figures, as they left the graveside. Before she could get very far, she felt a hand grab her wrist and pull her back. With a yelp, she landed almost head-on into someone; the illusion melting rapidly away like the bad dream it was. It was further dissolved by the loud crash of a crystal chandelier hitting the floor right where Belladonna would have run, had the hand not stopped her.

"It was just an illusion. Carmilla is toying with us." D's voice growled, from in front of her; all of them looking up when laughter came to their ears and starting a bit when they saw the ghost of Carmilla herself standing on the ballroom ceiling.

"_Excellent! What fun! You're all doing well, very well indeed!_" Carmilla sneered; noticing, with some delight, when some anger entered D's normally calm grey eyes.

"The woman...where are you hiding her?" D asked, then added, "And what have you done with my apprentice?" He got only an evil smile from Carmilla, before her ghostly form took the shape of thousands of bats, and flew off.

"Damn..." Belladonna muttered, crying out when a silver arrow narrowly missed D.

"Borgoff, what're you doing?.! We don't have time for this!" Leila, (who had been the one Belladonna had run into) shouted, as the eldest Markus brother slowly approached; his crossbow notched and ready to fire. He only gave her, Belladonna, and D an unreadable glare.

"Leila, are you in love with this dunpeal?" Borgoff asked, coarsely, ignoring Leila's question completely.

"Are you crazy? What is wrong with you, Borgoff?.!" Leila asked, as she approached him to try and diffuse the situation, and gasped when he grabbed her and held her in point-blank range of his crossbow.

"Dunpeals, drop your weapons! Now! Drop them now!" Borgoff growled, as his good eye changed from its' usual brown color, to vampiric red.

"_Oh hell! He's been_..." Belladonna mind cried, as she hesitantly made a move for her guns; uncertain of what she was going to do next...or what D was going to do, for that matter.

"She took you in, didn't she?" D questioned, a disappointed tone emerging in his voice as he said that, and as he began to slowly approach them. Borgoff's expression became more feral, and he lowered his now fang-filled mouth to Leila's neck as a threat to warn him off.

"She'll die! I'm warning you, dunpeal, don't come any closer!" Borgoff snarled, as Leila tried to cringe away from the cold breath that now came from her adopted brother's mouth.

"_Please, hurry and do something, D! Don't let her die like this!_" Belladonna thought, frantically; wringing her hands and cursing the bad angle. Leila's head was far too close to Borgoff's for comfort, and Belladonna knew she had nowhere near the amount of experience it would take to fire off a shot, and get Leila out of that situation.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Dirk uttered a pained cry when he felt the monster's razor-sharp claws slash into the skin of his back, rending his cloak in that one spot before he could swing around and defend himself.

"_This thing_..._It's too damn fast for me to kill! No sooner do I get turned back around, it's coming at me from all sides again!_" Dirk thought, as he struggled to ignore the lancing pain coming from his wounds, and the scent of his own blood filling his nostrils.

"_I_..._I can't give up now_..._But I'm too worn out to fight! I can't keep this up for much longer!_" Dirk mused, flinching when the monster rebounded off one of the walls, and flew straight towards his face and chest. Yet, before he could raise his sword, a strong light took hold of the demonic beast, and tore it apart right before his astonished eyes.

"**_That will be _****_quite_****_ enough._**" a deep, male voice growled, as the creature screamed once, and then disintegrated within the light.

"_Dirk! Are you all right?_" another, more familiar voice asked, worriedly.

"Mother?.!" Dirk asked, as the ghostly form of his mother appeared before him, smiled calmly, and nodded.

"_The one and only. Are you okay?_" the true Doris again asked. Dirk could only breathe a sigh of relief, and relax somewhat.

"Yeah. I'm okay. Thanks to you. But what're you doing here?" Dirk questioned, watching as a male figure appeared alongside Doris and gave him a grim look.

"**_Saving your life, for one. Protecting what is left of my family line, another._**" the male ghost stated, quietly. Dirk gave him a confused look.

"Your family line? Sir, you wouldn't happen to be...?" Dirk started to ask, but was interrupted by a wave of the figure's hand.

"**_That isn't important right now, young one. For now, you must focus on saving a young woman from Bloody Carmilla's fangs._**" he said, watching as worry for the human woman overcame Dirk's youthful features.

"Point me in the right direction." Dirk said, determinedly. The male figure nodded, and he and Doris both started leading the way.

"_Will you be able to keep up with us, Dirk?_" Doris asked, with motherly worry for her only child filling her eyes. The quarter-vampire only gave her a cocksure grin as he ran alongside them.

"Don't worry about me, Mother. I am, after all, the son of an imfamous Dunpeal Hunter!" Dirk assured her, as he raced down the darkened halls, with the two phantoms at his side.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Getting there! Hang tight, everyone!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	12. Chapter Eleven: Tears

Chapter Eleven: Tears

The maelstrom that was Carmilla's spirit had come upon D with all the force and fury of its' natural counterpart. Fierce winds blew strongly against him; forcing him to keep his eyes averted, so he wouldn't be blinded by them. He was about halfway to the center when what felt like electricity struck him full force, wrenching a scream of pain from between his lips.

"_It's a good thing I had left Belladonna with the Markus woman_..." D thought, before more 'lightning' forced him to return his focus to the here and now.

"_Dunpeal Hunter_..._Your mother was a human, but your father was a vampire! You are betraying his ancient blood and are contributing to his people's demise! You have sided with humans against us, and have hunted your own ancestors! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!_" Carmilla roared, as she increased her assault on the mixed-breed Hunter before her; smirking when she saw a reddish tinge appear in D's eyes, and heard his agonized groans.

"_Your human self is your weaker self! Humans are nothing more than livestock, and we have every right to prey on them, as they prey on beasts. This is the rule of nature!_" Carmilla continued.

"No...Your time is coming to an end...as it must...The vampire race must die! That is the rule of nature." D snarled back, stubbornly; his thoughts not only on his own humanity, but also on those of his son, and Belladonna as well.

"_Ah, such strong words, for a dunpeal. But you seem to have forgotten just one thing_..._Our spirits are eternal._" Carmilla purred, as she sat back and enjoyed the sight of the suffering dunpeal.

"No...Carmilla...Nothing lasts forever..." D argued, struggling to speak through the intense pain that was tearing through him.

"_I see_..._I should have known better than to try and reason with the likes of __you__. I guess I will just have to use force!_" Carmilla said, as she upped the 'voltage', and as D's agonized cries became louder.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Dirk paused and looked over his shoulder, feeling a little more uncertainty as he entered the lowest part of the castle.

"Catacombs. Just lovely." Marv muttered, as Dirk silently made his way through. Just ahead of him, the two ghosts led the way. They stopped when a reddish glow came within sight, and Dirk had to steady himself when he saw what was making it. There, in the coffin just ahead, the horrible sight of an reviving vampire came to him; as well as the gross amount of blood flowing into it.

"**_Carmilla is trying to revive herself with the young woman's blood. By the looks of things, we may already be too late._**" the male ghost stated, when he spotted the lifeless girl lying at the bottom of the stone dais the coffin was situated on. Doris and Dirk both looked at him, and gave him stubborn looks.

"Not if I have anything to say about it. I'm not going to let Charlotte die." Dirk growled, as he, before either of them could stop him, rushed into the fray to try and get to Charlotte before she was bled dry.

"**_Such an impetuous youth_**...**_I used to be just as bold, in my younger days._**" the man sighed, as Doris watched her son grab Charlotte and make his way to a safer place to see what he could do for her.

"_I guess he got that from me_..._I don't remember D being as reckless._" Doris admitted, getting a rather wry smile from the other ghost for that comment.

"**_You would be surprised, Lady Doris. D was quite the hellion, when he was Dirk's age._**" the man ruefully said.

"_For you to say that, must mean you'd had to get him out of trouble quite a few times more than you would have liked, huh?_" Doris asked, getting a smirk from the other ghost.

"**_Indeed._**" the male ghost responded, as they took off after Dirk; both of them equally as determined to protect the impetuous young Hunter from Carmilla's vengeful spirit.

"_Thought so._" Doris murmured, quietly, as her worry turned from her son, to the man that had sired him. Where in the world was D?

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

At that very moment, in the midst of Carmilla's spiritual torture, a change was overcoming D. All too quickly, D felt his vampire blood surge to life; overriding his human blood completely. It didn't help matters any when Carmilla added one last comment that made his mixed blood boil.

"_I knew about your son the moment he entered this castle, dunpeal. He is truly of the Dracula line; his presence alone is proof enough. I will kill him as well; in fact, I will even show you his death._" Carmilla purred, as an image appeared before D of the quarter-vampire running with the dying Charlotte in his arms. Then, suddenly, before Dirk could react, something emerged from the shadows and thrust an old sword through Dirk's chest; forcing the younger Hunter to drop the girl, and fall.

"_NO!_" D's mind cried, as crushing grief, and the madness brought on by it, emerged in his now crimson-hued eyes. With a howl of rage, D charged towards the ghostly countess, his sword bared and ready to slice her in half. Carmilla's eyes widened, when she saw the dunpeal get to his feet, repulsing her power easily as he rose.

"_This can't be happening! Where is this power coming from?.!_" Carmilla wondered, as her spirit was cut down the middle by D's sword, and, in that cavern beneath the castle, her physical form was rent asunder by a blow from a revived Meier Link's wing. As the last remnants of Carmilla's spirit hovered there before him, she could only ask one thing, before being erased from existence for good.

"_Are you truly the son of the Vampire King? Who are you, dunpeal?_" Carmilla's voice questioned, before fading away along with the rest of her.

"A father...who must now grieve for his son...That is who I am, now." D whispered, as he slowly regained control of his vampire half, and as his human half shed a few tears for the enthusiastic and brave young Hunter that had insisted on going with him despite his inexperience.

"_Dirk_..._Please forgive me._"

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Belladonna and Leila watched in horror as Meier Link slowly landed in the ballroom of the castle, the pale, bleeding form of Charlotte Elbourne cradled lovingly in his arms.

"_We're_..._We're too late_..." Belladonna thought, as she and the last of the Markus Clan watched the heartbreaking scene in front of them.

"Charlotte...come back. Please come back. I need you." Meier pleaded, in a voice that told both women that he was on the verge of tears. For a moment, Charlotte didn't respond; then with much effort, she lifted a delicate hand, and touched his face.

"Mmm...Darling, is that you?" Charlotte asked, softly, her eyes barely able to focus on him as he held her.

"Yes. It's me, Meier." Meier replied, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that his beloved was dying.

"I...I'm so happy, Meier...because, at long last...we're together." Charlotte sighed.

"Yes...at long last..." Meier agreed, his heart breaking as he listened to the woman struggle to breathe, and looked up when he saw Belladonna approaching; with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You made me happy, Meier. You let me dream...of our beautiful trip to the stars..." Charlotte murmured, not even noticing when Belladonna checked her pulse, or when the other girl gave the vampire a hopeless look.

"It's not a dream. We're going to those stars, Charlotte, my dear one! You and I will get away from here...Get away from all of this! We will fly together to the city of the night where we were meant to be free...and there you can rest." Meier promised, as he felt her gentle heart begin to go still.

"Yes...freedom! At last..." Charlotte whispered, as her eyes fluttered shut for the last time, and as the vampire that held her began to weep.

"She's gone..." Belladonna choked, her own compassionate heart not even noticing that Meier was a vampire as she tried to console him.

"And so is Dirk..." D's voice said, from the other side of the ballroom. Belladonna and Meier both looked up, and saw the horrible sight of D carrying the lifeless body of the quarter-vampire in his arms; blood dripping from the hole in Dirk's back and chest from the sword wound that had killed him.

"_No_..._Not the kid too_..._This is too cruel._" Leila thought, as she hesitantly went up to D.

"Miss Markus, do you think you can do me a favor?" D asked.

"Sure. Ask away." Leila replied, still too shocked and horrified to refuse.

"Take my son back to Ransylva for me for burial. Have him interred beside his mother." D said, the sorrow in his voice very easily heard by all of those around him.

"Why can't you do it? What are you going to do in the meantime?" Leila in turn asked, as D laid the dead youth on the floor, and unsheathed his sword.

"I can't just walk away...not now." D murmured, as he readied himself for one last fight against Meier.

"Nor can I." Meier stated, as he also placed Charlotte's corpse on the floor, then flew at D; starting the final battle himself.

"What a horrible, sad waste..." Leila said, bitterly, as she picked up and carried Dirk's body over to where Belladonna stood, and placed it next to Charlotte's.

"You've got that right." Belladonna sobbed, as they watched the two men fight; knowing that this altercation could only end in death...either for the Hunter, or the hunted.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Evil, ne? But wait! There's more to come!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	13. Chapter Twelve: Miracles

Chapter Twelve: Miracles

Belladonna and Leila could only watch as the two men fought a useless battle. Both of them had lost something dear to them; for one, a lover...for the other, his own flesh and blood, his son. Grief was the only thing fueling them, now.

"I wish there was some way we could stop them. This is so pointless." Leila murmured, sadly.

"I know...But there's nothing we can say or do that'll convince them to stop...The only ones who could, are the ones that are lying at our feet dead now." Belladonna agreed, flinching when the edge of Meier's left 'wing' slashed at D's abdomen; narrowly missing him as the Hunter leaped backwards away from him.

"_If only you were still here, Dirk! You could've stopped them!_" Belladonna thought, hopelessly, as she gazed at the strangely still features of the young Werewolf Hunter; not even bothering to look when the castle began to crumble around them.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

With a deadly grace that could only be attributed to vampires and dunpeals, Meier Link and D fought against one another as dust and debris started to fall around them. D winced when he felt a sharp stab of pain from his abdominal wound; and felt his grief only double when the memory of how he'd gotten it returned to taunt him. It had been in the defense of Dirk and Belladonna that he'd received the injury in the first place...and now one of them was gone.

"_I really should have died that night._" D thought, as he uttered a growl, and kept fighting. Meier seemed to notice when D stumbled a little, and could smell blood coming from the dunpeal...and it wasn't Dirk's.

"_He must have been wounded before coming on this hunt and it is bleeding again. I truly regret getting Dirk into such grave danger_..._I know how much the boy meant to you._" Meier mused, as he watched D's face in the midst of their battle. The dunpeal's eyes were showing even more emotion than he was used to seeing; in effect showing him just how rattled to the core D was at the loss of his son.

"You struggle to resist this nature of ours, but it can't last forever, D. The urge for their blood is stronger." Meier murmured, when he and D were close enough to exchange words, and yet not be heard by the two women who now watched them. He knew that this sort of comment usually angered his former friend and comrade...this time, however, his own hopelessness was reflected in D's steel grey eyes.

"If that day comes...then another will hunt me. It's as simple as that." D replied, as he shoved Meier back, and swung his blade at the vampire's head when he was off balance. His blow never landed.

"_What?.!_" both Meier and D wondered, as they stared at their weapons. They seemed to float in midair; held back by invisible hands in order to prevent them from striking at one another. Then a scent started to come to D's nostrils...a familiar scent that almost made him drop his sword.

"_The scent of blood_..._Dirk__'s blood! B-but how_..." D's mind yelped, as he watched in morbid fascination as the blood he had smelled began to drip down the entire length of the blade.

"_What the blazes is going on here?.!_" Meier also wondered, becoming bewildered when he felt a slight tugging on his left arm at the same time.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"Hey, do you see that?" Leila asked, when she'd noticed that the two men had stopped fighting and were now staring at one another.

"See what?" Belladonna questioned in turn, confusedly.

"Take a good look at the dunpeal's sword." Leila said, bringing to the other Huntress' attention the odd event that was taking place right in front of them. Belladonna's eyes widened when she saw what Leila had noticed.

"Blood! But I don't remember either of them getting a blow in!" Belladonna said, bewildered by this turn of events.

"Funny thing is...I don't either." Leila muttered, as they continued to watch the pair's faceoff closely.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

D's breaths were coming in shaky gasps, as he continued to stand there with his sword trapped in what seemed to be an invisible barrier. In front of him, Meier also stood, seemingly frozen by the bizarre occurrence. With blurring vision, D closed his eyes; struggling to control the pain that was starting to surge through him, now that his adrenaline level was going down.

"_D! This scent! It's coming from right in between you and the vampire! Somebody is here between you two!_" Left's mental voice shouted, barely being heard by his host as he said that.

"_But who could it be? We both know it couldn't be_..." D replied, opening his eyes slightly when he thought he heard a sound come from between him and Meier.

"...ad!...Dad...!" a voice cried, desperately, as the invisible hand that held the sword back almost gave way under the pressure that was coming from behind it. "C'mon! Snap out of it!"

"_Have I finally gone insane?_" D wondered, as something briefly appeared between them. It appeared to be a youth that was in his teens, with grey eyes and dark hair. He had looked disheveled, and vaguely panicked.

"D! It was Dirk! I saw him! He's right between you, holding your sword back!" Belladonna screamed.

"She's right, dunpeal!" Leila said, then added, "And there was somebody beside the vampire that had appeared for a moment as well!"

"_Could it be?_" D mused, as he slowly backed away, lowering his sword as he did so. Meier also lowered his weapon, and felt it when someone wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"Dirk." D softly called, and watched as an outline of the young Hunter appeared, and when it slowly filled itself in; revealing a relieved-looking Dirk Lang standing there.

"DIRK! You're alive!" Belladonna cried, as she rushed over; nearly tackling the quarter-vampire in her relief.

"Glad to say that I am, 'Donna." Dirk said, smiling as he briefly hugged her back, "But you might want to watch yourself; my right hand's been pretty badly cut."

"I don't care! It tells me that you're alive! You're not dead!" Belladonna said, as happy tears poured down her pretty face. Dirk sighed, but his smile didn't fade in the slightest.

"That might not be the case in a few minutes, 'Donna, if I keep bleeding like this." Dirk stated, calmly; but with a joking tone hidden somewhere in his voice.

"Why?" Belladonna asked, confusedly.

"I had to give Charlotte a blood transfusion." Dirk said, getting a disbelieving look from Meier as a result.

"You mean to say that the girl is still alive, as well?" Leila asked, incredulously. Dirk nodded.

"She's clinging to Meier right now." Dirk stated, grinning when a very faint blush appeared on Meier's usually pale features, and he looked down. Almost immediately, the illusion surrounding the girl fell away, revealing a very-much-alive Charlotte Elbourne.

"I...I don't believe it..." Meier muttered, as an overjoyed smile appeared on his face.

"Meier! I'm here! I'm really here!" Charlotte assured him, as the vampire swept her into a grateful embrace.

"I thought I'd lost you...I..." Meier whispered, as he buried his face in her chestnut hair and breathed in her scent. Charlotte only sighed gently and held him even tighter against her in response to her beloved's overwhelmed state.

"It seems...the last of Carmilla's illusions were meant to drive us both to our deaths on each other's weapons." D thoughtfully murmured, as Meier looked up at him and quietly agreed.

"Yes...An illusion to induce madness...and we fell right into it. It seems I owe you an apology, old friend." Meier said, getting a look on his own face that bordered on concern when D wavered a little bit, and caught himself on Dirk's shoulder. D only managed to nod his understanding, and then collapse. With a collective yelp, all of those within the crumbling ballroom rushed to D's side. Dirk's eyes widened when he saw a puddle of blood forming beneath his father, and as harsh coughs brought up even more.

"D, can you hear me? How did this happen...?" Meier asked, as he slowly levered the severely wounded Hunter into a sitting position. D grimaced.

"Listen, we can find out the answers later. For now, let's get the hell out of here before this whole place falls down on top of us." Leila said, as she placed a hand on Meier's shoulder to get his attention. The vampire nodded in agreement.

"Right. I can carry at least three of you. Dirk, think you can manage to keep up with me?" Meier asked. He got a nod from the quarter-vampire for an answer.

"But how do you propose to carry us? You don't have three pairs of arms, do you?" Leila questioned, skeptically.

"I will carry you and Charlotte on my back, since I need my arms free to move D. From the looks of things, his wounds are graver than I'd first thought." Meier stated, as he kneeled and allowed both women to grab onto his shoulders.

"Okay. Which way now?" Dirk asked, confusing his companions when he didn't even look at Meier when he'd asked the question.

"**_We'll lead the way, young one. You and yours' just need to concentrate on keeping up._**" a regal male voice replied, as the phantom owner of it appeared in front of all of them, with a female ghost at his side.

"All right! Lead the way!" Dirk shouted, as he took off after the ghosts.

"I don't believe this...We're actually going to be chasing shadows to get out of here." Leila grumbled, as she held on for dear life to her former enemy's shoulders.

"Don't knock it till you have tried it, Lady Markus. After all, we couldn't have asked for a better guide in order to get out of here safely." Meier murmured, as he raced alongside Dirk towards the exit.

"Why is that, Meier?" Charlotte asked, curiously. Meier gave them a semblance of an ironic smile over his shoulder, before returning his attention to the winding hallways before him.

"One of those ghosts, my love, is that of the Vampire King himself." Meier replied, noticing when Leila almost lost her grip, and then held on even tighter than she had before.

"You have got to be kidding me...you mean he is leading us all out?" Leila queried. Meier nodded.

"The original killer of the Bloody Countess has returned from the grave to protect his bloodline...and it includes young Dirk." Meier said, quietly.

"That actually...explains a lot..." D managed, painfully.

"I'm sure it does, sir, but don't try to speak right now. You're too badly hurt." Charlotte urged; hazel eyes worried when she saw just how much difficulty D was having just breathing.

"_It sounds like he's got a hole in one of his lungs_..._and his heart doesn't sound very clear, either. I hope his old stake injury hasn't reopened_..._It could be deadly if it has._" Meier mused, then shouted, when they were finally outside, "Make for my carriage! It's built to withstand this sort of thing! Hurry!" There was no argument from anyone as they all bolted for the vehicle, and dove inside it just as the structure they had just escaped from collapsed behind them.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"Damn. He's worse off than I'd thought."

Was Leila's comment, and the collective thought of the remainder of the group, when she, Belladonna, Charlotte, and Dirk finally had the chance to see to D's wounds. The Dunpeal Hunter's shirt was soaked with gore; a testament to how horrible Carmilla's torture had been. His recent injury was bleeding again, but the most frightening part about his condition was that a lot of his older wounds were as well. All across his chest, stomach, and back, there were deep gashes; a hint on how rough his long life had been.

"Dunpeal or no, even he won't last long if he keeps bleeding like this. Charlotte, do you know how to sew?" Belladonna asked. Charlotte seemed taken aback by the question, but nodded, nonetheless.

"Good. I'm going to have to ask you to help stitch his wounds closed. Dirk." Belladonna said, turning her attention to the waiting quarter-vampire.

"What can I do to help?" Dirk in turn asked.

"I think your dad was carrying some blood capsules in his saddlebags. Go and get them." Belladonna ordered, getting a slight salute and a brisk nod before Dirk disappeared into the darkness outside the carriage.

"The kid sure has recovered quickly, for having just given blood, himself." Leila muttered, as she watched him go.

"I think it is just adrenaline fueling him now, Lady Markus. Once things calm down, then he will probably sleep for the next couple of days." Meier murmured; as he gazed wearily and a little bit worriedly at the wounded Hunter.

"True. And I'd say the same for you, if you didn't look like you were about to fall asleep on your feet." Leila replied, getting a wane smile from Meier in answer to that.

"I'm inclined to agree. But there are still a couple of hours of darkness left. If I can be of any assistance, please let me know." Meier stated, addressing all three of the women with that remark.

"Okay. We will." Belladonna promised, before returning her full attention to the injured Hunter, and getting started on the tending of his wounds.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

When D opened his eyes, quite a while later, he found himself in an unusual position.

"_Am I laying on someone's lap?_" D wondered, foggily, as he gazed up at the person his head and shoulders were reclined on, and felt himself freeze.

"Take it easy, Dunpeal. I'm not going to shoot you over something you had no control over." Leila said, smirking wryly at him in response to the almost panicked look he'd given her.

"Why...?" D managed to whisper.

"Belladonna had said that you need to be kept in a reclined position till you're able to breathe normally again. That damn hole in your lung almost did you in." Leila stated, then added, "You had everybody here worried that you wouldn't pull through."

"How long have I been unconscious?" D asked, quietly; remembering to keep his voice low so it wouldn't irritate his injured lung.

"About four days. I'm amazed by how much of a gentleman that Vampire really is. He and Dirk even helped me give Grove a decent burial." Leila mused, sadly, as she remembered that it had been Grove's spirit that had rescued her from the changed Borgoff Markus. D only offered her a very slight smirk for that.

"You'd best watch it. Meier Link is quite the lady killer." D muttered; hardly resisting the snicker that escaped from between his lips when a grumbled 'I heard that.' came from inside of the coffin. This was accompanied by some giggling from Charlotte (who was also inside of the coffin) and a low laugh came from Dirk and Belladonna from their seat across from him and Leila.

"_I'm glad you have decided to hang on, D._" a female voice said, as the ghostly owner of it appeared next to D, and smiled lovingly at him.

"Doris..." D muttered, stunned to see her there.

"_There is so much I wish I could tell you, D, but I don't have too much time left. You see, I have been following you and Dirk since our son found you. When you both accepted that job to bring the young lady home, I was so troubled by it that I continued to follow you both. It wasn't until Dirk was within the castle that I was able to make contact with him_..._And even then I had needed the help of your father to do it. I'm relieved that you have both come through it alive, and I wish you nothing but the best as you continue living. Who knows? Our paths may cross again, one day._" Doris' ghost said, with a gentle, yet very sad, smile.

"Thank you, Doris...for watching over us." D whispered, as the woman's ghost began to fade away.

"_Always remember, D, that I love you and Dirk very much_..._And I will always be watching over you, even if you can't see me._" Doris said, as she brushed a hand against D's face, then turned and did the same to Dirk, before fading away completely.

"**_And, I believe, it is time I took my leave as well._**" another spectral voice stated, as the owner of it appeared before those in the carriage.

"Is the ship still in workable condition, Sire?" Meier asked, from within the casket. The Vampire King's ghost nodded.

"**_It can still make the trip, if that is what you were so worried about._**" The Vampire King replied, turning when Belladonna uttered a disappointed groan.

"And I was hoping you'd tell us more stories about when D was young!" Belladonna said; giggling when D's expression deadpanned and he gave both ghost and casket a scathing look.

"What did you tell them, Meier? Father?" D asked, edgily. An almost mischievous grin briefly graced the Vampire King's face, before he answered his seething son.

"**_What _****_you_****_ don't know, won't hurt _****_me_**" the Vampire King chuckled.

"What he said." Meier muttered, then added, "I have no real desire to die by your sword, or by dirty looks, thank you."

"It's almost too bad I won't live as long as you guys will. This is the most interesting conversation I've heard yet." Leila mused aloud, getting a confused look from D in the process.

"What do you mean? Charlotte is mortal as well." D said, voicing his confusion on the matter.

"Not anymore, Dad...Y'see...that blood transfusion I gave her...from my blood...had an unforeseen side-effect...She's now a quarter-vampire as well." Dirk explained, uncertainly. There were a few moments of stunned silence, before D muttered something under his breath that sounded positively nasty.

"Before anyone even asks, I am not translating what he'd just said." Meier said, seeming quite surprised by his friend's mouth.

"**_Oh, for a bar of good lye soap!_**" The Vampire King stated, equally as shocked by D's vocabulary.

"Who wants to live foreveeeeerrrrr?" Marv sang, in his usual off-key tone.

"Put the soap in Marv's mouth, please." Dirk grumbled.

"SHUT UP, MARV!!!!!" the rest of the group shouted, before the sword's mouth was firmly taped shut again.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Almost to the end of the story! Epilogue coming up!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	14. Epilogue: Completions

Epilogue: Completions

It was many years later, that the paths taken were crossed again. In a small churchyard, a beloved member of the village near it was being laid to rest; and almost everyone there was laying flowers on her coffin as it was being lowered into the grave. On the very outskirts of the graveyard, three riders watched in silence; remaining a respectful distance away from the grieving family.

"It seems she's getting the flowers she never thought she'd get." one rider murmured, as he gently gazed at the scene.

"Yeah. And from a family she'd never thought she'd find. I'm glad we could be here to say farewell." another rider said, wistfully, as a few tears escaped from her blue eyes. The third rider remained silent; remembering, as they did, the final time they had spoken to the woman that was being buried by her loved ones in front of them.

"_As you can see, my friend, Dirk has become a fine man, and one of the best Vampire Hunters in the business_..._I was able to live up to that small promise, at least._" the third rider mused, looking down when a movement at the edge of the gathering caught his eye. One of the children had just noticed that they were sitting there, and was making her way towards them.

"Dirk, Belladonna. It's time to go." the third rider murmured, getting a nod from both as an answer to that. And yet, before they could get very far, the little girl called out to them.

"Hey! Wait! Please wait!" the girl shouted, getting the three to pause, and look down.

"Yes? What can we help you with?" Dirk asked, politely.

"Um...Excuse me...But I was just wondering if you knew my grandmother Leila?" the girl questioned, noticing when all three of the riders exchanged some glances, smiled softly, and nodded.

"We sure did. She was a very fiery and compassionate lady." Dirk replied. The little girl smiled at that compliment.

"You three are the ones Grandmother had told us about! I'd be honored if you would come to our house. My dad would be so happy. Please?" the girl asked; giving the three an almost puppy-dog stare that made at least D a little uncomfortable.

"I dunno about you, but I can't find it in me to refuse. Can you, 'Donna?" Dirk said, with a genuine smile, and a soft laugh. Belladonna chuckled and shook her head.

"Nope. Sure can't. 'Sides, the promise of getting some honest to goodness tea seems pretty appealing right now." Belladonna stated, quite aware of the deadpan look she was getting from D in the process.

"Are you trying to say that the tea you have been drinking hasn't been good enough?" D asked, his eyebrow twitching when Belladonna made a grotesque face at the memory of a tea-making fiasco in the recent past.

"After you had burned the last three pots worth? D, I wouldn't even use that to water the horses with!" Belladonna said, then added, when she'd returned her attention to Leila's granddaughter, "Lead the way, kiddo! We're behind ya, the whole way!" With an overjoyed laugh, the girl led the three to where her father now waited, and a flurry of introductions started as the three Hunters dismounted, and mingled with Leila's family.

"_Well, here's another human family that has accepted me for who I am_..._I just hope I can come away from this without any regrets._" D mused, his smile, and that of Dirk, turning wistful when they learned their young friend's name...Doris.

"_Things have finally come full circle. Isn't that right Mother? Uncle Dan?_" Dirk thought, as a breeze wove its' way through the crowd, and caressed his face. They agreed with him, wholeheartedly.

_**Owari**_

_**Author's Note!**_

_**And that's that. I hope it has been an enjoyable story (despite the times that it seemed I had abandoned it!) I want to thank everyone who has supported this fic from the outset and I hope, when I start writing a sequel to this (and there is one in the planning stages) that everyone will lend their support then as well! Arigato!**_

_**Gemini14**_


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